The Milwaukee Brewers non-tendered Brandon Woodruff earlier this winter, making him an unrestricted free agent. It was certainly not a move that many predicted would happen going into the 2023 season. After all, Woodruff was 13-4 with a 3.05 ERA in 2022 and had come in fifth in Cy Young Award voting in 2021. If anything, many thought the Brewers would be forced to trade him, much like they traded Corbin Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles.
However, as talks between the Brewers and Burnes soured, many began to believe that maybe, just maybe, Milwaukee would be able to extend Woodruff instead of trade him. After all, if they were to remain a truly competitive team, they would do well to have Woodruff atop the rotation alongside Freddy Peralta.
Of course, that did not end up happening. Woodruff was limited to just 11 starts in 2023 after a series of shoulder injuries. The second injury cost him the postseason and, for a while, a year of arbitration. It looked like Woodruff’s time with Milwaukee was over.
But it’s not. According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, the Brewers are bringing Woodruff back.
The Milwaukee Brewers and Brandon Woodruff Agree to a 2-Year Contract
On Monday morning, Heyman posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Woodruff and the Brewers are in agreement on a two-year contract:
Breaking: Brandon Woodruff back to Brewers. 2 year deal.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 19, 2024
Due to the shoulder surgery Woodruff had, he likely will not pitch for the Brewers at all in 2024. That being said, there is an outside chance he could be ready by September, just in time for a postseason push.
Monetary figures of the two-year deal have not yet been revealed.
The Two-Year Deal with Brandon Woodruff Is Perfect for the Milwaukee Brewers
One has to assume that, whatever the salary numbers are, they are not too expensive. Milwaukee, for better or worse, is extremely careful with their spending. Woodruff getting a two-year contract must mean that they are confident that he will make a full recovery. If he is able to come back in September, he would provide quality leadership on a young team, having made plenty of postseason pushes himself with the Brewers throughout the duration of his career.
Even he cannot pitch until 2025, though, having him for that season will be like signing a free agent starter without having to sign one. Of course, should the injury mean he has to move to the bullpen, he would become one of the best bullpen arms on the team, and that is saying something with how good Milwaukee’s relief pitchers are.
Furthermore, the deal opens the door to Woodruff spending many more years with Milwaukee. Like many players, he has said in the past that he wants to play for the Brewers for the duration of his career. Unlike others, though, he seems to actually mean it.
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