Brewers 2x All-Star Listed Among Top Potential Free Agents

This Brewers starter is going to generate a lot of interest.

Apr 5, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; General view of a Milwaukee Brewers logo on seating within American Family Field prior to the game between the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Brewers are struggling a bit. They recently were swept by the red-hot Texas Rangers, but they have a chance to get back on track with the slumping St. Louis Cardinals in town. St. Louis has already been eliminated from National League Central contention, and Milwaukee could put them in the grave this weekend. The Brewers are 89-58, which is good for the best record in Major League Baseball, and they still lead the Chicago Cubs by 5 1/2 games in the NL Central.

However, this offseason, they may have some questions to answer. Their starting rotation has been solid this year, but right-hander Brandon Woodruff could end up hitting the free agent market.

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report listed him among the top 25 free agents to be this coming offseason.

Brewers' Brandon Woodruff Among Top Impending Free Agents

Sep 6, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff (53) delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

"After missing all of 2024 and the first three months of the 2025 season recovering from shoulder surgery and other injury issues, Woodruff returned to the mound on July 6 with six innings of two-hit ball against the Marlins. Aside from a few clunkers at the end of August, he has looked like his frontline starter self, and he has done more than enough to decline his end of a $20 million mutual option in favor of a $10 million buyout and trip to free agency," Reuter wrote.

In 11 starts this year, Woodruff has looked his old self, going 6-2 with a 3.32 ERA and 0.955 WHIP. The two-time All-Star's strikeout rate has risen from 9.9 per nine innings in 2023 to 11.2 per nine innings this year. He has a mutual option for 2026, but chances are he'll decline it and hit the market again in hopes of landing a longer-term deal.

Chances of him leaving the Brewers this winter seem to be very high, so the Brewers will have to either replace him with another starter or search for answers from within.

He might ultimately take a shorter-term deal with opt-outs, however, which could give the Brewers a chance to bring him back for at least 2026. But it will certainly be interesting to see how his market develops in the coming months and if Milwaukee will have a chance to retain him for the future. They'll at least have him in the postseason.

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