"Milwaukee's first significant decision was whether to issue a $22.025MM qualifying offer to Woodruff. The two-time All-Star had an excellent 12-start run in his return from shoulder surgery. His velocity was down a few ticks from pre-surgery levels. Even more alarming is that he suffered a lat strain during a September bullpen session that wound up ending his season."
"A qualifying offer would nevertheless have been an easy call for a team running a $200MM+ payroll. Woodruff's track record is so strong that he'd be great value at that price point if a team knew he'd stay healthy. It's a much bigger roll of the dice for a club that opened last season with a $115MM payroll."
"The Brewers took the upside play and issued the offer. Woodruff accepted and will be back for a ninth season. The Brewers may have been a little surprised that he took a one-year offer, but it certainly wasn't out of the realm of possibility."
The Brewers, after winning 97 games and the NL Central in 2025 before losing to the Dodgers in the NLCS, faced decisions regarding their two best pitchers nearing free agency. The team issued a $22.025MM qualifying offer to Woodruff, a two-time All-Star returning from shoulder surgery. Despite concerns about reduced velocity and a late-season lat strain, the Brewers deemed the offer worthwhile given Woodruff's strong track record, even though he could represent 20% of their $115MM payroll. Woodruff accepted the one-year offer, securing his ninth season with Milwaukee. The team traded their other veteran ace entering his walk year while remaining active on the trade market with forward-looking acquisitions.
#mlb-free-agency #brewers-roster-decisions #qualifying-offers #payroll-management #trade-market-activity
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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