The Milwaukee Brewers will have competition for Jake Bauers if he declines the qualifying offer and ends up looking for a multi-year deal in free agency.

If that were to become a reality, it would make a lot of sense. Bauers has earned himself a big payday after his electric 2026 season. Bauers transformed himself from a role player just a few years removed from nearly retiring to leading a World Series-winning team in homers. It was shocking, to say the least. The Brewers tendered Bauers the qualifying offer, but if he accepts it, it would guarantee just a one-year deal. If he declines it, he can set himself up for the future and there will be interest in a multi-year deal around the league, for sure. But where? ESPN's Paul Hembekides weighed in and predicted that Milwaukee will end up losing Bauers to the Arizona Diamondbacks on a three-year, $54 million deal.

"He's going to land in Arizona at three years and $54 million," Hembekides said about Bauers on Baseball Tonight with Buster Olney. "They have no answer in the short term at first base. I actually buy into the profile being a bit more sustainable than the public seems to think. I don't think he was merely a product of Milwaukee's genius. I think he will keep hitting. I think he will do it in Arizona."

Jake Bauers Has A Big Offseason Ahead

The Diamondbacks are a team that was good in 2026. Arizona went 86-76 in 2026, but the Diamondbacks missed the playoffs. Arizona actually was the first team on the outside looking in on the playoffs. First base could be considered a hole for Arizona, but it is important to note that Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen said this offseason already that there have been conversations about eight-time All-Star Nolan Arenado switching from third base to first base. If Arenado were to move to first base, that would seemingly make this prediction more difficult to come to fruition.

If Arenado doesn't move over, then this idea from Hembekides would make a lot of sense. The Diamondbacks finished the 2026 season 25th in the league with 166 homers as a team. Bauers would've finished with the second-most homers on the team (26), just behind Arenado (30).

In a perfect world, the Brewers would retain Bauers and try to go out and win a second straight World Series title in 2027. But Bauers was great for the organization and has earned a payday. If he declines the qualifying offer, it's hard to believe that he'll be back in town in 2027. With each passing day, there seems to be more and more buzz about Bauers' stint in free agency. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal said that his guess is that Bauers will decline the qualifying offer. It would be great to have Bauers back, but perception around the league seems to align more with Hembekides' prediction of an exit, rather than a new deal.