Reds could see Spencer Steer’s trade value soar following Red Sox shocking Jake Bauers signing

While free agency and the trade market are often thought of as two different things, they are intricately linked. If a team misses out on a target in free agency, it can turn to the trade market to find a similar option, or vice versa. This is where the Cincinnati Reds can capitalize.

On the surface, the Boston Red Sox surprising signing of first baseman and outfielder Jake Bauers has nothing to do with the Reds, but on the other hand, it presents a massive opportunity. How the Red Sox will utilize Bauers is up in the air. Their incumbent first baseman, Willson Contreras, is an American League Silver Slugger finalist. But Bauers is more than just a first baseman. He also spent 40 games in 2026 playing in the outfield corners and has made 216 starts on the grass over his career.

Does that remind you of anyone? The Reds have an even more versatile player, Spencer Steer, sitting on the trade block. Steer can play a Gold Glove-level first base, but he also plays both outfield corners, third base, and can moonlight at second base in case of an emergency. Boston's signing of Bauers proves that versatility is in demand.

It wasn't just the four years and $58 million that the Red Sox gave Bauers, a player who just two years ago hit .199/.301/.361 as a 28-year-old in his first season with the Milwaukee Brewers. It's also the fact that Boston will be surrendering a draft pick by virtue of Bauers rejecting the qualifying offer. Put the two parts together, and it's a massive investment, and teams looking for a similar skill set have very few other options, except trading for Steer.

Spencer Steer could become the next Jake Bauers, and the Reds could trade him for a haul as a result

Bauers had a fantastic season, moving from platoon-bat journeyman to NLCS MVP and a breakout star. The 31-year-old hit .266/.389/.484 with 26 homers. The seeds of that breakout were sown in 2025, bounced back somewhat from his dismal 2024, and hit .235/.353/.399.

His 2026 campaign notwithstanding, Steer has been a better hitter than Bauers. During his time in Cincinnati, he's posted a 105 wRC+. For the most part, Steer's career stat line, .242/.327/.421, is very similar to Bauers' 2025 performance, just with a bit more slug and a bit less in the OBP department.

Everyone is going to want to find the next Bauers, and Steer might be it. The similarities in the underlying metrics between Bauers' 2025 season and Steer's 2026 campaign are strong.

Both players have strong barrel rates, hit the ball frequently at good angles, and rarely chase outside of the zone. That led to very similar expected stats. Bauers built on that in 2026 and was even better under the hood. Could Steer do the same?

If you're Nick Krall, it's time to break out your salesman hat and convince other clubs that, yes, Steer can take the leap because he has a similar offensive profile to Bauers, pre-breakout.

The question, then, is: if Steer is on the verge of being a Bauers-caliber player, why wouldn't Cincinnati just keep him? That has to do with timing and control. Steer is a free agent in two years, and if he indeed rises to that level, the Reds likely won't be able to afford him.

Sal Stewart's NL Rookie of the Year win highlights what Cincinnati's real timeline is. The Reds' core revolves around him and Chase Burns, not the older players on the roster. Given that Steer has a skill set that is hot right now, the team would be wise to capitalize on that and cash him in for chips that better fit the young core that it is trying to build. The time to strike is now.

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