The Milwaukee Brewers are right in the crowded National League Wild Card race. As of June 13, they sit 5.5 games back of the Chicago Cubs for the NL Central lead, but it might be difficult to chase Chicago.
They are also 2.5 games back of the final NL Wild Card spot, although there is still plenty of time.
So, the Brewers might be making some moves at the MLB trade deadline in hopes of adding some pop to put them over the hump.
On Thursday, the Brewers traded veteran pitcher Aaron Civale after he requested a trade following his demotion to the bullpen.
Now, another name is on the block: Jake Bauers.
Brewers Open Up Shop For Infielder
On Friday, Francys Romero reported that the Brewers were listening to offers for Bauers:
“Hearing that the Brewers will be open to listening to trade offers for Jake Bauers.”
The Brewers did acquire Andrew Vaughn in the trade for Civale, so Bauers could become expendable quickly.
Bauers has been around the majors quite a bit, making stops with each of the Tampa Bay Rays, Cleveland Guardians, Seattle Mariners, and New York Yankees before coming to Milwaukee in 2024.
This year, he has played in 43 games but is hitting just .229 with five home runs and 18 RBI as he is used in more of a reserve role.
In 2024, Bauers struck out a career-high 118 times, but the Brewers brought him back on a minor league deal, and he wound up making the roster.
Still, Bauers has some pop in his bat at times, and the cheap contract could be easy for the Brewers to move.
Here’s the Jake Bauers decisive dinger. pic.twitter.com/byuLDVm4Rc
— The Brewer Nation (@BrewerNation) May 7, 2025
The lefty also plays outfield, first base, and designated hitter, but his lackluster numbers might not be too exciting for teams.
Of course, the Brewers trading away Civale for Andrew Vaughn was not terribly exciting and sparked some questions from the fans.
Still, the Brewers’ offense has not played that well, Jackson Chourio said it has left much to be desired, per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.
“To be honest, I think this offense has a lot more to show than what we’ve done so far. I think we played a good game today, and we’ve played some good games recently, but I think we’ve got more offensively than what we’ve shown.”
So far, it seems like the Brewers plan to overhaul the offense at the deadline.