There's already been a lot of chatter out there this offseason about the idea of the Milwaukee Brewers possibly losing Jake Bauers in free agency.

Bauers was tendered the qualifying offer, but that doesn't guarantee he will return. In fact, he certainly could decline it and head to the open market with the hopes of landing a multi-year deal in free agency. In fact, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal said on Nov. 5 that his guess is that Bauers will decline the qualifying offer.

If Bauers does decline it and lands a multi-year deal elsewhere, how can the Brewers replace him? Here are two routes Milwaukee should consider.

Sticking With Andrew Vaughn

When the 2026 season began, Vaughn was expected to be more of a consistent option than he ended up being. He ended up missing some time early on, which led to a bigger role for Bauers. Bauers made the most of his opportunity and now is going to get paid well. Vaughn didn't always have an everyday role, but he was good for Milwaukee overall in 2026. He played in 104 games and slashed .306/.390/.444 with an .834 OPS, six home runs and 43 RBIs. Vaughn has one more season of team control left and is projected to make a little over $8 million in 2027, per MLB Trade Rumors.

Vaughn is still just 28 years old. If the 2027 season were to open with Vaughn at first base, Milwaukee will be just fine on paper.

Sign Paul Goldschmidt And Platoon With Andrew Fischer

If the Brewers lose Bauers and don't want to pay Vaughn over $8 million in 2027, it wouldn't be shocking to see Milwaukee find a trade partner. If that were to happen, the Brewers arguably should look into bringing seven-time All-Star Paul Goldschmidt to town. He showed in 2026 that he can still play, despite the fact that he's 39 years old. The New York Yankees specifically used him heavily against left-handed pitchers. Overall, he slashed .252/.313/.452 with 18 home runs and 52 RBIs in 105 games played. Goldschmidt made $4 million in 2026 and certainly won't cost much this winter in free agency.

Fischer could end up being a slugger of the future for the organization after blasting 48 home runs in his first full-time professional season down in the minors in 2026. Fischer is a lefty and can play either first base, or third base. If the Brewers are confident enough in Fischer to give him a shot in the majors either out of Spring Training, or shortly after the 2027 season begins, pairing him with a right-handed veteran, like Goldschmidt, would be for the best in a platoon.