Even if Jake Bauers had accepted his qualifying offer, it's not like he was going to be with the Milwaukee Brewers for the long haul.

The Boston Red Sox jumped on the opportunity to sign the 2026 National League Championship Series MVP, and for good reason. 

After getting swept in the Wild Card round, it's not like the Red Sox were one player away, but they certainly needed to address certain areas.

For the Brewers, they have quite a few options to replace Bauers at first base, so it's far from the end of the world that they had to let him walk. Milwaukee got a draft pick out of the departure, and Bauers made $58 million, so in the end, everyone walked out a winner.

The most obvious option is Andrew Vaughn, someone who backed up Bauers all of last season. 

This is a guy who's exceeded all expectations since coming to Milwaukee, and it's all but a lock that he'll be the Opening Day first baseman come 2027.

Vaughn is still under contract for another year, and while he would've been on the trade block had Bauers accepted the QO, his job is now safer than ever before.

These next two options are interchangeable as each is at the Triple-A level and is extremely close in the rankings.

Blake Burke comes in as the Brewers' No. 12 prospect, and he has a 2027 ETA. He's listed as strictly a first baseman, and he would be yet another left-handed hitter for the team to have in the lineup.

Seeing as Vaughn is a right-handed hitter, that makes him the perfect replacement for Bauers.

Luke Adams is the team's No. 13 prospect, so he's right on Burke's heels. Unlike Burke, Adams is a right-handed batter who also has third base listed as his position.

At 22 years old, he's one year younger than Burke, but it's not like that is going to be the deciding factor between the two.

There's a case to be made that Andrew Fischer could skip Triple-A and make the Brewers' Opening Day roster, but with Burke and Adams in the fold, that feels far too risky.

Fischer should absolutely start the 2027 season at Triple-A. His power surge this past season was a sight to behold, and he's this team's No. 5 prospect for a reason.

Fischer's positions are flipped, so he's listed as primarily a third baseman, with first base also as an option. 

Keep in mind, Fischer throws right-handed but is a left-handed hitter.