Brewers reportedly shopping Brandon Woodruff

[Matt Breen]

Brewers reportedly talking about Brandon Woodruff with multiple teams. Woodruff underwent right shoulder surgery to repair his anterior capsule and is not expected to pitch in 2024, though he remains vocally optimistic he can return some time in the second half of the season.

Any trade would likely include negotiation for option years past 2024 for this reason.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/11/brewers-discussing-brandon-woodruff-trades.html

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[jonescm128]

Makes sense to shop him and see if another team will take the risk. He is a free agent next October and I am not sure the Brewers would be willing to tender him a contract with the outside hope that he pitches in 2024. You could sign him to a mini extension but then you are paying even more for the hope he returns to form in 2025. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

Me, pretty much every day right now:

[adambr2]

Talk about selling low. Why even bother? You're going to get pennies on the dollar now. 

[sveumrules]

24 minutes ago, adambr2 said:

Talk about selling low. Why even bother? You're going to get pennies on the dollar now. 

The options are agree on a one year deal, agree on a multi year deal, non tender or trade.

I don’t think anyone wants a one year deal given Woody’s health situation. I don’t think anyone wants a non tender.

So it comes down to multi year deal or trade.

If a multi year deal can’t be reached, a trade for anything, even perceived pennies on the dollar is better than nothing.

[wildcat2237]

2 hours ago, adambr2 said:

Talk about selling low. Why even bother? You're going to get pennies on the dollar now. 

A lottery ticket prospect is better than just a straight non-tender. It is extremely disappointing, but that is where things stand. 

[Underachiever]

4 hours ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

Me, pretty much every day right now:

I just texted my Bengal-fan friend that sports fandom has such a high percentage of misery. 

I think I will just become a front-running bandwagoner. I have some disposable income, I can get a jersey, hat, bobblehead of whichever team is hot. Even switch teams at halftime. Why not?

[Fear The Chorizo]

4 hours ago, adambr2 said:

Talk about selling low. Why even bother? You're going to get pennies on the dollar now. 

Would you prefer they tender Woodruff and potentially have to pay him close to $10M to rehab?  

The theoretical 2-3 year contract offer to Woodruff that includes a significant pay cut for 2024 sounds well and good for folks on message boards, but if Woodruff really does feel like he can get back to pitching later this season and prove to be healthy, I bet he's willing to take that gamble at this stage to still try and set himself up for a big free agent payday after this year.  So, if that short-term contract extension at a discount is a pipe dream, then the next best thing the Brewers can do is try to drum up some sort of trade for Woodruff rather than just nontendering him and using the payroll savings to sign a different FA starter that can actually be in the Opening Day rotation for 2024.

[Brock Beauchamp]

23 minutes ago, Fear The Chorizo said:

The theoretical 2-3 year contract offer to Woodruff that includes a significant pay cut for 2024 sounds well and good for folks on message boards, but if Woodruff really does feel like he can get back to pitching later this season and prove to be healthy, I bet he's willing to take that gamble at this stage to still try and set himself up for a big free agent payday after this year.

It sounds like a good deal on message boards because a bunch of pitchers have signed similar deals over the past decade (one rehab year + one full season). Perhaps Woodruff isn't interested in such a deal but even if he comes back in August and pitches, he's still not getting a megadeal. That's only going to come after he pitches a full season or close to it.

[Fear The Chorizo]

Just now, Brock Beauchamp said:

It sounds like a good deal on message boards because a bunch of pitchers have signed similar deals over the past decade (one rehab year + one full season). Perhaps Woodruff isn't interested in such a deal but even if he comes back in August and pitches, he's still not getting a megadeal. That's only going to come after he pitches a full season or close to it.

by big free agent payday, I meant a healthy Woodruff at the end of this season could likely get a 3-4 year contract from someone at around $75M...that's not even close to megadeal territory for starting pitchers nowadays, but it's probably the best he can expect given his age and injury history.  Sucks for Woody, but taking a gamble and not signing a 2-3 year deal now gives him a shot at getting a sizeable contract next offseason instead of being guaranteed between ~$20-30M for the next two years and being a full year older before reaching unrestricted free agency.

[Michael Trzinski]

This is a tough call...could be lose-lose no matter what happens 😥

[Sixtolezcano]

47 minutes ago, Michael Trzinski said:

This is a tough call...could be lose-lose no matter what happens 😥

It was a lose-lose deal on the day we found out he needed shoulder surgery. There is no way Mark is going to sign Woody to a multi year deal.

[Brock Beauchamp]

2 hours ago, Fear The Chorizo said:

by big free agent payday, I meant a healthy Woodruff at the end of this season could likely get a 3-4 year contract from someone at around $75M...that's not even close to megadeal territory for starting pitchers nowadays, but it's probably the best he can expect given his age and injury history.  Sucks for Woody, but taking a gamble and not signing a 2-3 year deal now gives him a shot at getting a sizeable contract next offseason instead of being guaranteed between ~$20-30M for the next two years and being a full year older before reaching unrestricted free agency.

Boy, I struggle seeing him get even 3-4 years unless he pitches half a season, which is out of the question from what I understand.

Of course, anything is possible in feee agency.

[Brian]

Brandon Woodruff and Rowdy Tellez non-tendered by Brewers. They are both now free agents.