Brewers Pitcher Turning Heads As Potential Franchise-Altering Free Agent

The Milwaukee Brewers are one of the best teams in baseball and they're still chasing a World Series this year.

But they could see quite a bit of roster shakeup in the offseason. In fact, one of the team's most important players is set to enter free agency at the end of the year.

Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly recently listed free agent Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff as one of the top starting pitchers in free agency this winter. Woodruff has the ability to help change a franchise by signing with them.

Brandon Woodruff's free agency will heat up in coming months

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruf — Sep 17, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff (53) throws against the Los Angeles Angels in the first inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

"Brandon Woodruff has some similarities to Mahle. Woodruff has a 2.73 ERA since the start of the 2023 season. The problem? He's made just 23 starts over that period, missing the entirety of 2024 recovering from right shoulder surgery," Kelly wrote. "Woodruff was tremendous when he finally returned to the mound in July of this season, and would have had some real momentum heading into free agency if he had stayed healthy through the end of the Milwaukee Brewers' season.

"Unfortunately, a right lat strain landed him back on the injured list in the final days of the regular season, and cost him a chance to be on the NLDS roster for the Crew. So it's going to be hard to bank on his health moving forward. Because of that, the small-budget Brewers likely won't give him a qualifying offer, because he would probably take it. He's going to be an interesting free agent, because he's had stretches in his career where he's pitched like an ace. But he's likely looking at an incentive-laden one-year deal."

Woodruff has the ability to change a franchise in the short term this winter.

While most top free agents are only available to the big spenders, Woodruff's health issues make him available for any team to afford on a short-term deal.

Still, teams like the New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and Los Angeles Dodgers should be expected to pursue the righty. Woodruff's free agency might have as many active suitors as any player in baseball.

But the Brewers need to do everything in their power to bring him back on a small deal. If Milwaukee can get him on a two-year deal, it would be a dream come true.

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