Milwaukee Brewers Make Shocking Roster Decision with Injured Ace Pitcher
The Milwaukee Brewers have made a shocking roster decision with Brandon Woodruff, who has been one of the best pitchers in the National League for the last few years.
Per Jeff Passan of ESPN:
Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Brandon Woodruff has been nontendered, sources tell ESPN. The two-time All-Star, who underwent shoulder surgery and is expected to miss the 2024 season, was scheduled to make around $11 million in arbitration. He will be a free agent.
So there's a few things to consider here:
1) Earlier on Friday, we had heard that the Brewers were looking at possibly trading Woodruff. Evidently, they couldn't find a trade partner before the non-tender deadline.
2) Passan notes that Woodruff is expected to miss the entirety of the 2024 season. There had been some debate about that recently. If that's true, then it makes sense as to why the team wouldn't want to pay him to not pitch.
3) They could have issued him a one-year qualifying offer after the season, but clearly decided that financially it wasn't worth it to pay him to sit out all season.
As for what's next for Woodruff, he's likely headed for a two-year deal. He'll sit out the first year and rehab, and then come back on a one-year "prove it deal" before hitting free agency again. Any team in baseball that sees value in a short-term starting pitcher with upside for 2025 could and should be interested.
He is a lifetime 46-26 pitcher with a 3.10 ERA. He should be desirable on the market at the contract structure described above.
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