In the seventh round of the 2013 MLB Draft, the San Diego Padres selected a first baseman from Marina High School in Huntington Beach named Jake Bauers. His time in the Padres' organization was short and forgettable.

Bauers was effectively a throw-in to the December 2014 trade that sent Trea Turner to the Washington Nationals and brought Wil Myers (among others) to the Padres. A fun footnote: Steven Souza Jr., now the Padres' hitting coach, was sent from the Washington Nationals to the Tampa Bay Rays in the same three-team trade.

Could Bauers and Souza reunite in San Diego 12 years later?

Among all the players who will participate in the 2026 World Series, none poses more intrigue for the Padres than Bauers, whose career-high 26-homer season for the Milwaukee Brewers came just in time for his free-agent walk year.

Bauers slashed .266/.389/.484 in 144 games (all career bests) for the Brewers in the regular season. He was named MVP of the National League Championship Series after driving in six runs against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Brewers' four-game sweep.

Bauers only had three hits in four NL Division Series games against the Padres, but he reached base at a .471 clip.

With Ty France headed for free agency after a career year of his own, Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller needs a Plan B in case he can't re-sign the first baseman. Bauers is a logical fit.

The Brewers paid Bauers only $2.7 million in 2026, a bargain for a player who accrued 3.3 Wins Above Replacement according to Baseball Reference. A deeper dive suggests Bauers' surface stats were no fluke.

According to Statcast, Bauers' barrel rate, exit velocity and bat speed were all elite in 2026. Even if he regresses somewhat in 2027 — at age 31, some regression is possible regardless of a hitter's prior performance — his bat speed is unlikely to decline so much in one year as to become a liability.

A left-handed hitter who can also play both corner outfield positions, Bauers would give the Padres a more balanced lineup than the right-handed hitting France.

Signing Bauers would also make for a satistfying narrative arc. The Padres are hardly the only team to "give up" on him. He was designated for assignment only five years ago, and was traded three times after his inclusion in the 2014 blockbuster. He nearly retired once.

Soon, Bauers could have a chance to return to the same team that launched his career the first time.

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