The New York Mets are set to enter a pivotal offseason under top exec David Stearns. While every winter is important to Major League Baseball clubs, the Mets will be looking to reload heading into 2027. Despite having one of the top payrolls in baseball, the Mets struggled in 2026 and need several new players.
Pitching will be a key area of focus for Stearns. There are, however, other significant roster holes to fill. One position the New York Mets need to strengthen is first base. With this in mind, The Athletic’s Jim Bowden is claiming that New York is the best offseason fit for Milwaukee Brewers star Jake Bauers. As the former MLB exec points out, the star slugger broke out in a big way this season by receiving more playing time.
“Bauers had never hit more than 12 homers in a season coming into this year but also had never played more than 117 games,” writes Bowden. “However, due to his career numbers, as good as his platform year was, he probably won’t be able to get the kind of contract that other first basemen have signed lately, like Josh Naylor and Willson Contreras.”
Naylor received $18.5 million per year in a deal with the Seattle Mariners. Contreras, on the other hand, earns $17.5 million each season for the Boston Red Sox after being acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals. The New York Mets will still have to pay Bauers a significant salary. Bowden projects his next deal to be four years, $56 million ($14 million AAV).
Jake Bauers Would be a Huge Upgrade at First Base for the New York Mets
Before landing with the Brewers, Bauers played for four different MLB teams between 2018 and 2023. He also never posted a WAR over 1.0 until this season. As Bowden alluded to, this could be a concern for the New York Mets. Despite this, the versatile first baseman finally excelled when given ample playing time. His performance at the plate should continue as long as he is a regular starter.
First base was a key area of concern for the Mets in 2026. Stearns previously signed Jorge Polanco to a two-year, $40 million deal to become his everyday first baseman. Nevertheless, the veteran endured a tough campaign due to injury issues. Overall, New York first basemen combined to post a .667 OPS this season. Only two other teams had a lower figure on the campaign.
Bauers, on the other hand, slashed an impressive .266/.389/.484 with the Brewers in 2026. His .874 OPS finished inside the top 10 of all MLB hitters on the season. It is safe to say that the New York Mets could use a slugger like this in their lineup.
New York’s Targets Expected to be a Short List
Stearns and the New York Mets will have options when looking for a new first baseman. However, their choices are somewhat limited due to a relatively lackluster free agent pool. Outside of Bauers, Ty France and Paul Goldschmidt are the only two available players in the position to post a WAR above 0.5 this season.
Japanese star Teruaki Sato could be an option for New York, but he has never played the role in his professional career. Assuming the Mets do target Bauers, they will face competition for his signature. Several other teams are also looking for a new first baseman, and the Brewers likely want him to stay.
Mets Named Top Landing Spot for $56 Million Breakout Star