How the Red Sox signing of Jake Bauers can open doors for the Royals on the trade market

After getting off to an uneventful start, the MLB offseason is finally starting to heat up. While the biggest names in the free agent market are still up for grabs, the mid-range players are quickly starting to go. That includes first baseman Jake Bauers, who will leave the World Champion Milwaukee Brewers and head east to the Boston Red Sox. While the signing doesn’t directly affect the Kansas City Royals, it can have far-reaching impacts for the club.   

As reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Bauers and the Red Sox have agreed to a four-year, $58 million deal. Coming off a career season with the Brewers where he boasted a .266/.389/.484 slash line, Bauers will look to give the Red Sox another power lefty bat to combat the onslaught of strong right-handed pitching in the AL East.  

With Willson Contreras currently occupying the position for the Red Sox and Triston Casas still on the roster, Bauers could be heading back into the outfield at some point in the near future. Regardless of where the 31-year-old will play in the field, it does take one first base option off the current free agent market. With Ty France and Paul Goldschmidt, who will be 40 years old at the end of the 2027 season, the top first basemen remaining, it could give the Royals some major leverage if they choose to move Vinnie Pasquantino. 

The Royals could look to shake up their roster in 2027

The Red Sox weren’t exactly in the market for the first baseman this offseason. With other pressing needs on their roster to address, they simply weren't viewed as potential suitors for Bauers. So not only does the signing take a first baseman off the market, but it now leaves teams with a need at the position with one less option. With the potential lockdown just a few weeks away, a trigger-happy general manager out there could be desperate enough to secure their roster before the offseason comes to a halt. 

The Royals don’t have to move Pasquantino at this point in time. Despite struggling through injuries and a severe power outage during the first four months of the 2026 season, Pasquantino quickly turned things around after returning from the IL in August. In his final 35 games of the season, Pasquantino hit 11 homers and drove in 30 runs. He finished the season with a .760 OPS, just 21 points below his career average. 

And after greatly improving his defensive game, Pasquantino also earned his first career Gold Glove nomination at first base in 2026. With two years of team control left, he could become an interesting target for teams looking to shore up the first base position without breaking the bank. 

With Jac Caglianone projected to become a full-time first baseman sometime in the very near future, the Royals could view Pasquantino as a valuable trade piece in order to acquire MLB-level pitching. Kansas City saw the injury bug rip through its pitching staff in 2026, leaving the team exposed heading into next season. Using Pasquantino to address that issue could be the best solution.

The Red Sox taking Bauers off the market may have unintentionally helped out the Royals by making Pasquantino even more valuable than he already is. Several teams in baseball are in desperate need of an upgrade at first base. That’s something that the Royals would be wise to take advantage of. 

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