Will the Milwaukee Brewers find a way to bring Jake Bauers back to town in 2027? This is the first major domino that is going to determine the direction of the organization this offseason after the 2026 World Series.

Milwaukee tendered Bauers the qualifying offer. If accepted, Bauers will make over $23 million on a one-year deal in 2027 in Milwaukee. The qualifying offer would be a significant raise for the slugger, but he has earned a nice payday and there's a real chance he could get a multi-year deal if he declines. It would be great for Milwaukee if Bauers accepted, but The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal threw cold water on the idea.

"My guess is no," Rosenthal said when asked if he thinks Bauers will accept the qualifying offer. "That he will reject it with the hopes of getting a better multi-year deal somewhere else. Now, the [New York Mets] are a team that could use a first baseman. There are other teams as well. The Milwaukee Brewers could use a first baseman. I don't know if they want to pay Jake Bauers $23.15 million, but maybe you work out a longer deal at a lower average salary. ... I expect he will reject the qualifying offer and go for that multi-year deal."

What's Next For Milwaukee?

If Bauers declines the qualifying offer, the Brewers will get a draft pick in return if he does end up signing elsewhere. If Bauers leaves, the Brewers will lose a lot of offense in the middle of the order. The 31-year-old led the team with 26 home runs in 144 games. On top of this, he drove in 86 runs and slashed .266/.389/.484.

If the qualifying offer is declined, it's hard to believe the Brewers will be the team that steps up with a lucrative multi-year offer to get a deal done. If Bauers walks, Andrew Vaughn would be the obvious replacement at first base, at least in the short term. MLB Trade Rumors' estimate for Vaughn in arbitration is $8.5 million for the 2027 season, which would certainly be less than what Bauers ultimately makes.

If not Vaughn, the Brewers have No. 5 prospect Andrew Fischer coming off a meteoric rise in 2026 in which he hit 48 long balls. At some point, his time is coming.

When it comes to the Brewers, arguably the most likely way that Bauers is going to return is if he accepts the qualifying offer. If Bauers ends up declining the qualifying offer, arguably the odds of a return won't be great.