The Milwaukee Brewers won their first championship in franchise history on Wednesday night after they defeated the Tampa Bay Rays, 4-1, in Game 5 of the World Series. The Brewers were again led by two-time reigning NL Manager of the Year Pat Murphy and received massive contributions from first baseman Jake Bauers, who earned the NLCS MVP award. During the on-field celebration immediately following Milwaukee's historic victory, Bauers handed Murphy the game ball from the last out of contest and the manager congratulated his slugger.
In the process, Murphy appeared to take a shot at one of Bauers' former teams, the New York Yankees. Bauers, who played 84 games for the Yankees during the 2023 MLB season before being traded to the Brewers that November, is set to hit free agency this offseason and could be in for a big payday and potentially, a change of scenery. Warning: The following video contains strong language.
The 31-year-old former seventh-round draft pick was well traveled in the early part of his career, playing with the Rays (2018), Cleveland then-Indians (2019, 2021), Seattle Mariners (2021) and Yankees (2023), before spending the last three seasons with Murphy in Milwaukee. Bauers had an unexpected breakout campaign in 2026, posting career highs in nearly every offensive category, including home runs (26), RBIs (86), runs scored (93), hits (127), walks (94) and OPS (.874). Bauers also had a career-best .266/.389/.484 slash line across 578 plate appearances and he had the third-best on-base percentage in baseball.
New York has already had a busy offseason following another early-playoff exit, courtesy of the Rays in the ALDS. The Yankees recently announced that both general manager Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone would be returning to the team for the 2027 campaign, if there is a season. MLB's Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is set to expire on Dec. 1, and a lockout is widely expected to follow.
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