It's not often that a player breaks out at the age of 30, but that's exactly what Jake Bauers did this season.
He signed a minor league deal to return to the Milwaukee Brewers in the offseason, and after a strong spring, he made the team. Still, Andrew Vaughn stood in the way of him getting regular playing time. When Vaughn got hurt in the season opener, it was Bauers' time to shine.
He was so good that even when Vaughn was back, the Brewers found ways to get him in the lineup. Bauers led the team in home runs and won the National League Championship Series MVP. Now, it's time to get paid. Unfortunately, for Brewers players, that often means leaving.
Bauers has earned a payday, but leaving is not his first choice.
"You ain't getting rid of me that easy," Bauers said to Pat Murphy after the game when Murphy joked about Bauers leaving and getting paid.
Bauers has had nothing but great things to say about the Brewers in his time with the team, and this year he has spoken at large about how close the team is.
Leaving will not be easy, and it will be hard for the Brewers to let him walk. Perhaps his desire to stay with the team that just won it all will make him more likely to take a discount.
However, the Brewers are unlikely to overpay to keep him simply because they won the World Series this year. They will stick to the same formula that got them here.