The Milwaukee Brewers recently traded two-time All-Star Freddy Peralta, the ace of their staff, to the New York Mets. They also included right-handed pitcher Tobias Myers in the deal. And while they received Brandon Sproat as part of the return (along with Jett Williams), and while he is going to compete for a spot in the starting rotation, there is still a great deal of question marks concerning Milwaukee’s pitching staff.
Over the last several seasons, Peralta was the only Brewers pitcher who logged 30 or more starts year in and year out. Indeed, the team has had to rely on its organizational pitching depth to get through the regular season, and without such a reliable pitcher such as Peralta, many wonder if they have enough arms to do it again.
Manager Pat Murphy seems to hope that retaining Brandon Woodruff will help.
Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy has high expectations for Brandon Woodruff
Earlier this offseason, Milwaukee extended a qualifying offer to Woodruff, a one-year deal worth $22 million. And to the surprise of many, he took it.
Bringing Woodruff back in 2026, undoubtedly, made the Brewers more willing to move Peralta this offseason. But the fact remains that Woodruff has not had a fully healthy season since 2022.
And Murphy is going to be relying on the two-time All-Star to remain healthy this year. Per Adam McCalvy:
“The Brewers hope for 25-30 starts and 150-plus innings from Woodruff, Murphy said. Presumably, the Brewers will devise a plan that builds in the rest necessary to keep Woodruff healthy through the end of the year as Milwaukee seeks to extend a stretch of seven postseason appearances in the past eight seasons.
“’He’s very, very capable,’ Murphy said. ‘He’s mature. He’s been through it. He’s educated. I mean, this guy understands pitching. He might need a reset here and there, but he knows where his mind is at. His mind can handle that. That’s the most important thing, that he’s been through so much.’”
This is going to be a very tall task for Woodruff, who missed nearly two full seasons with a shoulder injury. In fact, in his career, he has made 22 or more starts in a season just three times.
Last season, Woodruff returned from his devastating injury and went 7-2 with a 3.20 ERA in 12 starts. However, he was not able to pitch in the postseason due to a lat strain.
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