Brandon Woodruff’s bounceback from shoulder surgery showed signs of promise. John Fisher / Getty Images
Right-hander Brandon Woodruff accepted a one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer from the Milwaukee Brewers, a league source told The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal on Tuesday, reuniting one of the game’s top strikeout artists with the only organization he has ever known.
Woodruff, 32 and a two-time All-Star, demonstrated familiar effectiveness this summer in his return from shoulder surgery. After missing all of 2024, he recorded a 3.20 ERA and 83 strikeouts across a 12-start span of 64 2/3 innings. He also found himself sidelined for a third consecutive postseason, this time on account of a right lat strain.
His combination of talent and recent injury history made for an interesting lead-up to the offseason. Woodruff, who earned $5 million in 2025, declined his part of a $20 million mutual option. Milwaukee then extended a qualifying offer in hopes of retaining him for 2026. Woodruff accepted the offer ahead of Tuesday’s deadline, ensuring the small-market Brewers will retain some firepower after a run to the National League Championship Series.
Aside from franchise cornerstone Christian Yelich, Woodruff is the only member of the team guaranteed more than $8 million next season. (MLB Trade Rumors projects an $11.1 million arbitration salary for catcher William Contreras.)
When on the mound, Woodruff still appears capable of fronting a rotation. He resumed pitching in 2025 with diminished velocity — his four-seamer averaged 93.1 mph after previously sitting around 96 mph — but he compensated by throwing more two-seamers and introducing a cutter. His strikeout and walk rates remained elite, and his expected ERA (2.18) was the lowest of his career.
Woodruff has said he anticipates coming closer to regaining his former velocity and quality of stuff in 2026. That’s a tantalizing idea. From 2021-23, before he required surgery to repair the anterior capsule in his right shoulder, few starters were better. Woodruff logged a 2.70 ERA in that span, along with 475 strikeouts over just under 400 innings.
Nov 18, 2025
Connections: Sports Edition
Spot the pattern. Connect the terms
Find the hidden link between sports terms
Play today’s puzzle
