Brandon Woodruff - Heyman: Woody accepts qualifying offer 1 yr/ $22million

[RobertCrawley]

https://www.si.com/mlb/brewers/news-feed/brewers-can-t-afford-to-let-brandon-woodruff-go-pat3

A writer for Sports Illustrated makes the case that the Brewers should make the offer for Woodruff to return. He has a $20 million mutual option with a $10 million buyout. I agree the Brewers should. The question is whether Big Woo will take it. I expect he'll get a better offer elsewhere, maybe a substantially better offer.

[SF70]

Woody is good as gone.

He’s getting big money from someone. My guess is 4, maybe 5 years and $90-110M.

Everyone of his numbers this past year scream #2 starter and now he gets another offseason past his surgery to potentially gain another tick or 2, but even if that never happens he completely re-made himself with a new arsenal that still makes him a TOR-type starter.

Anyone concerned that his lat injury will give teams pause — don’t be, because it won’t since he’ll be long healed up well before ST.

Easy QO decision. Love Woody and wish him the best.

[tmwiese55]

Yea I'd be surprised if Brewers didn't offer to pick it up, its essentially 1/10.  But yea no way Woodruff does.  There's a small chance with their relationship that they work out some compromise again to stay. But at his age, he has to take as much money wherever he can.    

To the post above though, if the most he gets is 4 years in the 80-100 ballpark its at least in the neighborhood that MKE would do it as long as there is some deferrals.  Get up to 5 years though and its probably a bridge too far to think it could happen.   That very well be how this plays out though, he becomes FA and they tell him to shop for best offer and let them know while hoping the best he gets is like 4/80. Then decide if they can match or how close they will come to it.    I suppose a negotiating perk brewers could do is offer an opt out after 2 years, so if he stays healthy for two years he can become a FA then go fleece someone to pay him an overpay contract.

[LouisEly]

50 minutes ago, SF70 said:

Anyone concerned that his lat injury will give teams pause — don’t be, because it won’t since he’ll be long healed up well before ST.

As said in another thread, it's not the lat injury.  It's the fact that the Brewers had to baby him and manipulate the rotation in an effort to get him through the season, which ultimately was unsuccessful.

Only once did Woody pitch on less than five days rest - his seventh start - and in that start they only let him go 4 innings and 65 pitches.  If he really was "good to go", he would not have been limited to 4 innings and 65 pitches in his seventh start off of the IL.

They had to use off days, call up guys for spot starts, and do other things to constantly push Woody back in the rotation so that he was on more than 4 days rest.  I think other teams are acutely aware of that and know that you can't manipulate a rotation like that for en entire season.

[Jopal78]

1 hour ago, LouisEly said:

As said in another thread, it's not the lat injury.  It's the fact that the Brewers had to baby him and manipulate the rotation in an effort to get him through the season, which ultimately was unsuccessful.

Only once did Woody pitch on less than five days rest - his seventh start - and in that start they only let him go 4 innings and 65 pitches.  If he really was "good to go", he would not have been limited to 4 innings and 65 pitches in his seventh start off of the IL.

They had to use off days, call up guys for spot starts, and do other things to constantly push Woody back in the rotation so that he was on more than 4 days rest.  I think other teams are acutely aware of that and know that you can't manipulate a rotation like that for en entire season.

Pitching talent is scarce; that’s why Woodruff likely will have a new home in 2026. Fading vets Charlie Morton and Verlander each still got a 15 million dollar guarantees this past season. Woodruff at nearly ten years younger will certainly get a multiyear deal and for likely well above $15m per season.  The Brewers have nothing to lose by picking up their half of his mutual option and offering him the QO if he declines.  

[SF70]

2 hours ago, LouisEly said:

As said in another thread, it's not the lat injury.  It's the fact that the Brewers had to baby him and manipulate the rotation in an effort to get him through the season, which ultimately was unsuccessful.

Only once did Woody pitch on less than five days rest - his seventh start - and in that start they only let him go 4 innings and 65 pitches.  If he really was "good to go", he would not have been limited to 4 innings and 65 pitches in his seventh start off of the IL.

They had to use off days, call up guys for spot starts, and do other things to constantly push Woody back in the rotation so that he was on more than 4 days rest.  I think other teams are acutely aware of that and know that you can't manipulate a rotation like that for en entire season.

I’m guessing the fact that the lat almost always gets injured post-capsul surgery probably had something to do with all of the “babying”.

Since the lat should no longer be a concern and Woody has another offseason past his surgery my guess is teams know they can do less babying with him starting next season.

[LouisEly]

50 minutes ago, SF70 said:

I’m guessing the fact that the lat almost always gets injured post-capsul surgery probably had something to do with all of the “babying”.

If that's the expected outcome, then why did the Brewers give him so much money?

[SF70]

7 minutes ago, LouisEly said:

If that's the expected outcome, then why did the Brewers give him so much money?

Maybe they thought the lat would go after he left MKE.

Point is it went and the signing team has a good opportunity to get a TOR-type starter.

[endaround]

11 minutes ago, LouisEly said:

If that's the expected outcome, then why did the Brewers give him so much money?

They gave him the money in the hope he wouldn't take 18 months to be ready.  It was a gamble they could get ~150 innings from him in 2025.  And the Brewers were not alone in making that offer.

[sveumrules]

MLBTR previewed the FA SP class today and had this to say about Woody...

The two-time All-Star will decline his end of a $20MM mutual option with Milwaukee. The Brewers should make him a qualifying offer, which he’s expected to reject. His camp could take aim at the three-year, $75MM contract which Nathan Eovaldi received last winter. Teams might have enough pause about the shoulder to keep him at two years, but he should pull at least $20MM per season.

[MrTPlush]

I could see a reunion if he sits long enough on the market and our preferred hitting options we may be hoping for sign elsewhere. If we have a lot of excess money to spend, yah, I could definitely see a reunion with Woodruff happening.

I don’t think we are going out of the gate and signing him in December though.

Woodruff is the exact kind of guy we can take some risk to get impact talent without long term payroll obligations. About the only good way we can use payroll outside of arby salaries and veteran pitching filler.

[jay87shot]

I would make the QO to him. If guys like Severino, Tallion, Tijuana Walker, Kikucki, and others are getting 70-90 million Woody should. 

Financially if he accepts it likely puts the team in a little bind for a year but would be manageable. It would probably mean that we would trade Peralta and then need to find a way to shed some other money possibly trade Megill or maybe Vaughn if Mark A. isn't willing to go far a bit bigger salary.

[brewmann04]

I think he go but would hope he feels some loyal to the crew but not in this day and age 

[BrewerFan]

On 10/24/2025 at 2:13 PM, LouisEly said:

As said in another thread, it's not the lat injury.  It's the fact that the Brewers had to baby him and manipulate the rotation in an effort to get him through the season, which ultimately was unsuccessful.

Only once did Woody pitch on less than five days rest - his seventh start - and in that start they only let him go 4 innings and 65 pitches.  If he really was "good to go", he would not have been limited to 4 innings and 65 pitches in his seventh start off of the IL.

They had to use off days, call up guys for spot starts, and do other things to constantly push Woody back in the rotation so that he was on more than 4 days rest.  I think other teams are acutely aware of that and know that you can't manipulate a rotation like that for en entire season.

He wasn't limited to 65 pitches and 4 innings, they were easing him back. They were up 6-0 in that game. 

The choose to baby him because they had the rotation depth to do so. 

[BrewerFan]

5 hours ago, jay87shot said:

I would make the QO to him. If guys like Severino, Tallion, Tijuana Walker, Kikucki, and others are getting 70-90 million Woody should. 

Financially if he accepts it likely puts the team in a little bind for a year but would be manageable. It would probably mean that we would trade Peralta and then need to find a way to shed some other money possibly trade Megill or maybe Vaughn if Mark A. isn't willing to go far a bit bigger salary.

There's no world in which the Brewers should have to trade Peralta's meager 8M and then Megill, their closer who will have a salary around... what, 4.5M OR Vaughn.

 

If they can't afford the QO after this year and what their payroll is set at and they have to trade Peralta and then Megill and or Vaughn, that'd reflect REAL poorly on ownership. 

[RobertCrawley]

9 hours ago, brewmann04 said:

I think he go but would hope he feels some loyal to the crew but not in this day and age 

There are some elements of loyalty, but in the end, people have almost always gone where they are paid more money. They should go where they are paid more money because they've earned it.

[jay87shot]

7 hours ago, BrewerFan said:

There's no world in which the Brewers should have to trade Peralta's meager 8M and then Megill, their closer who will have a salary around... what, 4.5M OR Vaughn.

 

If they can't afford the QO after this year and what their payroll is set at and they have to trade Peralta and then Megill and or Vaughn, that'd reflect REAL poorly on ownership. 

I would hope so and agree but some teams are super budget conscious and with TV revenue issues and an impending labor issues I would guess that we aren't going to see a big salary increase. Paying Woody 32 million would make our estimated payroll like 135 which Mark A. should/could have no problem shelling that out. 

My point is though that if that Woody does accept the QO and we do need to shave around 10-15 million off the payroll, trading Freddy becomes much easier. Not only for trimming payroll but also because we would have a vet pitcher on the staff. I mentioned Megill or Vaughn you could make that Ashby, Contreras, or Yeli but Megill or Vaughn make more sense than those guys.

Just stating what could happen if Woody were to accept the QO, but agree with you that Mark A. should be able to open the pocket book a little.

[Jim French Stepstool]

I've touched on this before---I think Woodruff is legitimately happy with the organization & living his professional life in the Milwaukee area. It's a fools' errand to predict that someone would stay somewhere where he'd be making less coin, but it's happened before & he's always struck me as the type who might be made of that type of stuff. Then throw in possible health concerns some organizations might have............I wouldn't predict it, but would not dismiss it either.

[39Streak]

On 10/25/2025 at 4:24 PM, sveumrules said:

MLBTR previewed the FA SP class today and had this to say about Woody...

The two-time All-Star will decline his end of a $20MM mutual option with Milwaukee. The Brewers should make him a qualifying offer, which he’s expected to reject. His camp could take aim at the three-year, $75MM contract which Nathan Eovaldi received last winter. Teams might have enough pause about the shoulder to keep him at two years, but he should pull at least $20MM per season.

I would sign up for 3 @ $75M.  Risk?  Sure.  But he looked fantastic at stretches.  And I think he’s just coming into his own post surgery.  You have to take a shot sometimes.

[Austin Tatious]

If Woody declines the mutual option, do the Brewers owe the $10M?  Or is that only if the Brewers decline it?

[Outlander]

The Brewers will pay the $10 million either way, it is a non factor.

[StearnsFTW]

Yeah, they're obviously exercising their end of the option.   Woodruff at $10MM (net) is a bargain.  Woodruff will then decline, the Brewers will offer the QO, Woodruff will decline and he's a free agent.

I want nothing to do with him at that point.  Completely unreliable.  Great dude, great Brewer, no thanks anymore.

 

[tmwiese55]

On 10/26/2025 at 3:30 AM, BrewerFan said:

There's no world in which the Brewers should have to trade Peralta's meager 8M and then Megill, their closer who will have a salary around... what, 4.5M OR Vaughn.

 

If they can't afford the QO after this year and what their payroll is set at and they have to trade Peralta and then Megill and or Vaughn, that'd reflect REAL poorly on ownership. 

Something that's popped in my head as a possible way to help short term budgets now would be to go to Yelich and ask him to defer more of his money.   He seems like such a team guy, kind of get the vibe he's felt bad about not fully living up to the pay he's getting, you know he really does want to win. I'd think he'd be at least open to talking about.  Might help them keep a guy or two to help win in his last few years. 

[sveumrules]

19 hours ago, 39Streak said:

I would sign up for 3 @ $75M.  Risk?  Sure.  But he looked fantastic at stretches.  And I think he’s just coming into his own post surgery.  You have to take a shot sometimes.

If I had to take a crack at the odds (strictly for entertainment purposes of course) I'd probably go something like this...

20% Woody accepts QO
(would give him one more year back in Milwaukee with an opportunity to put up a "fully healthy" say like 26 GS and 150 IP kind of platform season before entering FA next year with no QO attached)

35% Woody signs here two years
35% Woody signs elsewhere two years
(as good as he was last year post-surgery I think between his age, injury to end the season, and teams' general risk aversion that two years will end up being the sweet spot, likely with some kind of option tacked on)

10% Woody gets three plus guaranteed years
(think Brandon would have needed to come back sooner and end the season healthy for teams to feel comfortable with three years, but he is a legit playoff calibre starter if he can make it to October and all it takes is one team so you never know)

[long ball]

Woodruff has always been my favorite of that crop of pitchers who debuted at about the same time (burnes, Peralta, and Hader the others)

 

if I were running the team and felt pretty food about his shoulder situation, I’d extend the qualifying offer. if the brewers feel good enough about his shoulder to offer the qualifying offer that probably means woodruff declines it.

 

If he declines the QO, I’m guessing he finds a new team in free agency. I don’t think the brewers are in a position to offer a free agent a multi year contract. (I’m not assuming payroll will go up at any point- not arguing for or against raising the payroll, just finally accepting the reality ever since the RSN fiasco).