The Milwaukee Brewers' offseason won't truly begin until an answer is given on the status of first baseman/outfielder Jake Bauers.

His meteoric rise throughout the 2026 season is the biggest reason why. A year ago, fans were not talking about Bauers to the same extent that they are now. In 2026, he finally had his breakthrough moment and now has a tough decision to make. Should he take the significant raise, although on a one-year deal and accept the qualifying offer from the Brewers? Or, should he decline it and look for a multi-year offer in free agency? It's important to note that the qualifying offer is worth over $23 million for the 2027 season, a significant jump from the $2.7 million he made in 2026. In fact, his total career earnings are just over $9.4 million, per Spotrac.

Bauers' decision certainly isn't an easy one. If he accepts, he'll stick with the reigning champs on a big deal for the 2027 season, but he doesn't have security beyond that. If he declines it, he's betting on a team handing him a long-term deal after breaking out in 2026. He was incredible in 2026, but never had another season as good. So, it's a tough choice. The Athletic's Tim Britton projected what a multi-year deal could look like and set the mark at $33 million over two years. If that were to be the case, arguably he should simply accept the qualifying offer.

"Jake Bauers, 31: Projection: 2 years, $33 million," Britton wrote. "For Bauers, there’s less track record but a Baseball Savant page that’s awfully red, lending some credence to the idea that Bauers is legit moving forward. (Author’s note: I did think the same thing about Trent Grisham this time last year.)"

The Jake Bauers Sweepstakes Will Be Intriguing

When it comes to Bauers, his projections have been all over the place. Britton projected $33 million over two years, whereas ESPN's Kiley McDaniel projected Bauers will land a deal closer to $52 million over three years, for example.

The higher the number, the less likely Bauers will accept the qualifying offer. Why would you? If he can get a deal like what McDaniel projected, he would have long-term financial security — plus a whole lot more than just $23 million. Britton's projection obviously is more than $23 million, but there's an argument that if he has another big year in 2027, he could get an even bigger deal. Plus, he'd have a shot at another title.

It's not going to be an easy decision. The consensus out there has been so far that Bauers — and everyone else who was tendered the qualifying offer are likely to decline it. If so, it will be bad news for Milwaukee. Fortunately, the decision will come in roughly one week and then the debates can be put to rest. For the Brewers, they have other answers at first base, like Andrew Vaughn, but nothing can truly be decided until Bauers makes his decision. And with so many conflicting rumors and projections out there, right now that is unpredictable.