Fastball

Milwaukee Brewers Release Statement After Jettisoning Brandon Woodruff

After making the surprising decision to non-tender Brandon Woodruff on Friday, Milwaukee Brewers' brass released a statement saying they are open to bringing him back.

Brady Farkas

Milwaukee Brewers Release Statement After Jettisoning Brandon Woodruff
Milwaukee Brewers Release Statement After Jettisoning Brandon Woodruff /
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On Friday, the Milwaukee Brewers made the fairly stunning decision to non-tender longtime ace Brandon Woodruff.

Woodruff, who is expected to miss the entire 2024 season with a shoulder injury, will now be a free agent. The Brewers would have had to pay him north of $11 million, so they decided that they didn't want to pay him to not pitch all year. 

Even the idea of offering him a qualifying offer in the next offseason and either keeping him or getting a draft pick wasn't financially worth the 2024 hit, they decided.

But just because he's gone for now, it doesn't mean he's gone forever, according to Brewers' GM Matt Arnold:

"Today we had to make a very difficult decision relating to one of the best pitchers and human beings in franchise history. Throughout his 10 seasons in the organization, Brandon Woodruff has represented the Brewers with class, kindness, heart and toughness. He is recognized as a tremendous teammate, both on and off the field and in the community, where he and his wife, Jonie, have positively impacted so many lives around him. We remain very open to his return to Milwaukee, and regardless of what uniform he wears next, Woody will always be a member of the Brewers family."

Perhaps the Brewers could give him a two-year deal with one serving as a rehab year and the other serving as a "prove-it" year before he could hit free agency again before the 2026 season. That could also be financially advantageous for them as well and would likely cost less than the idea of employing him for 2024 and then giving him a qualifying offer contract in 2025.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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