BOSTON — The Red Sox made a big splash Friday afternoon, signing first baseman Jake Bauers to a four-year, $58 million contract.

Bauers is coming off a breakout campaign with the Milwaukee Brewers in his seventh year in the majors. He hit .266 with an .874 OPS over a career-high 144 regular-season games in his age-30 season, with career highs of 22 doubles, 26 home runs, 86 RBIs and 93 runs.

Bauers then played an instrumental role in helping the Brewers win their first-ever World Series last month. He was named MVP of the National League Championship Series after he battled through multiple lengthy at-bats at crucial moments to help the Brewers reach the Fall Classic for the first time since 1982.

It’s a bold move for the Red Sox, punctuated by the draft-pick compensation they will need to give the Brewers, who extended the $23.15 million Qualifying Offer to Bauers earlier this month.

Sox brass has been open about the need to fortify their lineup after an offensively weak year, but this signing, first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan, suggests more changes to come. Boston currently has first baseman Willson Contreras under contract through 2027 with a club option for 2028, and he is coming off a career-best offensive year. And Bauers is a lefty hitter joining an already lefty-heavy lineup; his arrival spells trouble for Jarren Duran and Masataka Yoshida, in particular, two underperforming left-handed hitters the Red Sox have actively sought to trade for the last several years.

The defensive numbers are subpar; Bauers this year ranked in the seventh MLB percentile in Outs Above Average, 12th percentile in Fielding Run Value, and the 22nd percentile in first-base receiving. But he can also play the outfield or join the number of Red Sox players who cycle through the designated hitter role, making him a versatile addition to the Boston ball club. In Bauers and Contreras, the Red Sox now have two of the five major leaguers who hit at least 25 home runs and posted a .385 on-base percentage or higher in 2026.

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