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

[Thurston Fluff]

I know it''s impossible to know one way or the other but this might make Peralta harder to trade. Teams know the Brewers would like to have a veteran with all the youth but they also know the Brewers don't have a lot of money so it balanced it out. With Woody back in the fold teams may think the Brewers have more of a need to trade Peralta. 

[treego14]

Thank you, Wood!

You are good!

This much is understood!

[StearnsFTW]

31 minutes ago, Jopal78 said:

Are the Brewers a more talented team with Woodruff than without? Of course.

Had Woodruff rejected the QO, were the Brewers likely to be more than the usual bargain hunters in free agency? Most likely  not.

With Peralta potentially being on the trading block, is it strategically a good thing to have veteran arms on the roster and not rely solely on young unproven pitchers? Of course.

Whats not to like then about Woodruff being back with the Brewers in ‘26.

The team counting on him and him not delivering when it counts.  Again.

 

Thats the only downside, but it's very likely to manifest itself in my opinion. 

[wiguy94]

24 minutes ago, Jopal78 said:

Dude. When was Woodruff non-tendered?

Let’s put the buyout thing to bed, it doesn’t mean he’s getting extra money. Buyouts on mutual options are nothing more than accounting tricks to push guaranteed money for the current financial year into the next financial year.
 

That’s why Woodruff’s contract for 24-25 was referred to as having a 17.5 million dollar guarantee. He got 2.5 in ‘24, 5 in ‘25 and another 10 when he rejected his half of the mutual option which I’m sure his contract states when and how it’s to be paid.  Upon receipt he’s paid in full at that point. 

Woodruff was non-tendered after the 2023 season.

[adambr2]

59 minutes ago, Jopal78 said:

Dude. When was Woodruff non-tendered?

Let’s put the buyout thing to bed, it doesn’t mean he’s getting extra money. Buyouts on mutual options are nothing more than accounting tricks to push guaranteed money for the current financial year into the next financial year.
 

That’s why Woodruff’s contract for 24-25 was referred to as having a 17.5 million dollar guarantee. He got 2.5 in ‘24, 5 in ‘25 and another 10 when he rejected his half of the mutual option which I’m sure his contract states when and how it’s to be paid.  Upon receipt he’s paid in full at that point. 

https://www.mlb.com/amp/news/brandon-woodruff-rowdy-tellez-non-tendered-by-brewers.html
 

November 17th, 2023, dude.

[liveforoctober]

3 hours ago, Klantz27 said:

I would of rather seen that 22 million plus the 17.5 million we gave him to do absolutely nothing for us. To extend young talent turang hell vaughn even we have lots of talented young pitching with the best lab in the mlb spending all that money on pitching with this being the case is just downright stupid pitching isn't a problem in Milwaukee always has been a strength even with woodruff being injured the entire time use that money on bat already damn hitting has been the weakness for years I mean **** josh naylor just signed for 18.5 million a year 

You used one period in that entire rant and you used it incorrectly. During said rant you suggested we extend Vaughn AND sign Josh Naylor... so, you know, you're doing great. 

[Jopal78]

1 hour ago, adambr2 said:

https://www.mlb.com/amp/news/brandon-woodruff-rowdy-tellez-non-tendered-by-brewers.html
 

November 17th, 2023, dude.

Huh, guess i misremembered. Sorry. 

That’s right he wasn’t going to pitch in his sixth and final year due to the shoulder injury  

[markedman5]

damn hitting has been the weakness for years 

3rd in all of baseball in runs scored last season.

[gregmag]

I think the Brewers likely trade Peralta now, and not at all because of the money. They have Priester, Mis, Patrick, Henderson, and Gasser as very likely rotation guys, with Myers, Ashby, and Hall as possibilities. They’re going to have to rely on that group after 2026. Now they have a veteran anchor for the group. The question is what’s more valuable: 2026 Freddy or the prospects you can get for him plus the development of whichever young guy takes his place. I don’t think that’s a slam dunk, but I bet someone will offer enough to make trading him worth it.

[Scooterfletcher]

3 hours ago, Thurston Fluff said:

I know it''s impossible to know one way or the other but this might make Peralta harder to trade. Teams know the Brewers would like to have a veteran with all the youth but they also know the Brewers don't have a lot of money so it balanced it out. With Woody back in the fold teams may think the Brewers have more of a need to trade Peralta. 

Just don’t spend. a sum total of whatever we spent on Sanchez/Jarvis two offseasons ago and 15-20 mil are saved.   Aka….Arnold now gets trades and one and only one free agent to add to the team. Beyond that, we are running it back!

[OldSchoolSnapper]

I think they're going to keep Peralta and go for it. Hopefully Woodruff suffers a hangnail around July 20 that he just can't quite get to heal until September 27. 

[rickh150]

5 hours ago, wiguy94 said:

Adam McCalvy has very clearly said Woodruff's buyout was baked into their 2025 costs so no it does not in fact make it $32M against this year's payroll.

Fancy math is still giving him a lot when he has been pitching less.  He hasn’t finished the last 3 years and he started this season in July?  And we’ve been in the playoffs the last 3 years!  

I cannot believe they are throwing this kind of money at him.  This from the organization that pinches pennies (for good reason) to Hader, Burnes, and now Contreras in arby at a risk.  There are FA to add, extensions to offer…acting like this is 2026 money and JUST 2026 money is beyond dumb.  

And I am not sure he could/will beat out guys for a spot in the rotation!  Others in the young staff are getting experience and likely adding velocity while he is losing velocity.  And he has been hurt!  Come on…do we even expect just 120/130 innings out of him anymore?  

I cringe at the amount of $ we gave him the last now few years. Teddy Higuera’s extension is looking better all the time.  And Soup too…”Soup pitched great!”

 

[rickh150]

1/6th of our 2026 payroll

[wiguy94]

20 minutes ago, rickh150 said:

1/6th of our 2026 payroll

This is a pretty tough mindset to take with a small market team. Brewers basically don't pay the market rate for any of their players because they are either pre-arb, arb, or have signed extensions below market value. Any FA you sign to a market rate deal is going to be a higher proportion of our team salary because they are being fairly paid for their contribution.

[adambr2]

People acting like this is coming out of their own pocket or that we were otherwise going to earmark $22M just for this season for free agency.

We have a really good pitcher coming back to our staff for 2026. That’s the only part of this that we need to concern ourselves with.

[markedman5]

14 minutes ago, adambr2 said:

People acting like this is coming out of their own pocket or that we were otherwise going to earmark $22M just for this season for free agency.

We have a really good pitcher coming back to our staff for 2026. That’s the only part of this that we need to concern ourselves with.

And one of the more popular players for many of us in the last 20 years.

Brewers obviously believe the shoulder is fine……no guarantees for any pitcher but I’m glad to have him back……and I trust Arnold and his staff.

 

[Matt]

 

[Klantz27]

2 hours ago, liveforoctober said:

You used one period in that entire rant and you used it incorrectly. During said rant you suggested we extend Vaughn AND sign Josh Naylor... so, you know, you're doing great. 

 

2 hours ago, liveforoctober said:

You used one period in that entire rant and you used it incorrectly. During said rant you suggested we extend Vaughn AND sign Josh Naylor... so, you know, you're doing great. 

😂😂 I didnt say sign naylor I mentioned what he just signed for suggesting the type of player you can get for 18.5 mil lolllll nice try

[Frisbee Slider]

6 hours ago, Matt said:

 

This so clearly makes the most sense to me. A sub-3 ERA starting pitcher with 200 K for three straight seasons for only $8 million is a valuable piece for tjr 2026 Brewers. 

At the same time, ownership would never say ‘we are trading Freddy.’ 

We should want more than just one veteran starting pitcher in 2026. We clearly didn’t trust our regular season # 5 starter (Quintana) in the playoffs.


 

[OldSchoolSnapper]

14 hours ago, StearnsFTW said:

The team counting on him and him not delivering when it counts.  Again.

 

Thats the only downside, but it's very likely to manifest itself in my opinion. 

That's as much their fault as his if it happens again. They need to look around the league and do what's necessary to have him available for the playoffs. Your seeding just doesn't matter and we are inching closer to NBA territory with every expansion. He should disappear out of the rotation sporadically throughout the season with mysterious injuries. The 83-79 Reds made the playoffs. 

[homer]

Woodruff was amazing this past season. Imagine how he'll be if the velocity comes back. It might be like Tommy John where it takes another year after you return to get back up to full horsepower. I'd much rather we take on that chance for a year than some other NL team. We have a young, cheap lineup outside of Yelich so spending some dough on a pitcher is fine, IMO. I bet the payroll is about the same as 2025. 

[KCBrewerfan34]

If the owner won’t boost the payroll coming off a 97 win season what are we even doing. I’m fine with short term commits, we just aren’t going to play in the top FA pool. I would rather sign our own anyways. FO needs to stay hot in the drafting department, this model only works with a strong system IMHO, especially SP. 

[Roderick]

I do see a scenario where we don't get a haul for Peralta so we keep him, but then see what we can get for Ashby in a trade. 

If we have Woodruff and Peralta, I doubt we are trying Ashby as a starter, so as a reliever his pay is starting to get up there.  $5.7M 2026,  $7.7M 2027.   

I can see some team giving us some good value back thinking that if Ashby can start for them, it will be worth it.

[liveforoctober]

10 hours ago, Klantz27 said:

 

😂😂 I didnt say sign naylor I mentioned what he just signed for suggesting the type of player you can get for 18.5 mil lolllll nice try

The Brewers giving Woodruff $22mil and the Mariners giving Naylor $92.5mil are not the same thing as much as you'd like them to be for the sake of your argument.

[Royhobbs]

Hey everyone.  Don't chime in much but here goes.  Doesn't this put the Brewers in a great position with Freddy?  A Peralta, Woodruff, Mis, Priester, Patrick / Meyers/ Gasser rotation is deep and as good as anyone not named the Dodgers.  So they get to hold out for a haul for Fred and if they don't get it, run it back this year and get the pick.   Use Hoskins money for some thump in the middle of the lineup (not holding my breath.)  I know everyone has a terrible taste in their mouths from the Dodgers series.  But add back Garret Mitchell (pray for health) and one more bat, this is a still a really good lineup.  Yeah, LA trucked us in the LCS but this is a really good team.