Brandon

Woodruff

Woodruff is 10 months removed from capsule surgery last October. He hopes to be part of the Brewers rotation at the beginning of next year, though such shoulder surgeries can be tricky to come back from.

The deal, which was agreed to earlier this week, is now official. Woodruff, who was immediately placed on the 60-day injured list once his deal was announced, will spend the upcoming season rehabbing with the Brewers with the goal of being ready for the outset of the 2025 campaign. The dynamic 31-year-old righty was non-tendered by the Brewers last November after undergoing right shoulder anterior capsule surgery last October. It’s unclear whether his stuff will bounce back to its previously-elite levels as shoulder surgery is far worse for pitchers in terms of long-term recovery and performance than other surgical procedures, but he still represents a worthwhile gamble for Milwaukee.

It’s not a death knell for pitchers, but shoulder surgery is far worse than Tommy John surgery in terms of long-term recovery and performance, so it’s unclear whether Woodruff will revert to form as an upper-echelon fantasy contributor in 2025 and beyond. However, it’s a worthwhile risk for the Brewers to take after non-tendering him back in November. The 31-year-old righty underwent right shoulder anterior capsule surgery last October and isn’t expected to be ready to return until the 2025 campaign.

There was some talk about Woodruff potentially being traded ahead of Friday’s non-tender deadline, but he’s just not a strong enough bet to make any sort of contribution next year to justify a likely $12 million salary in his final arbitration-eligible season. He’s expected to miss most or all of the 2024 campaign following right shoulder surgery. Our best estimate is that he’ll wind up landing two-year deal as a free agent with the hope of contributing in 2025.

Woodruff is a fascinating case to watch leading into the non-tender deadline on Friday, as he underwent surgery to repair the anterior capsule in his right shoulder last month and is expected to miss most, if not all, of the 2024 season. He’s arbitration-eligible for the final time this winter and is expected to make around $11 million via arbitration in 2024. It would be a luxury for the Brewers to keep him around in this case. Woodruff has stated his optimism about pitching at some point next season, but that’s far from a guarantee. And so, a potential acquiring team would either hope for a strong finish in 2024 and give a qualifying offer next winter or perhaps work out a multi-year deal this offseason. Either way, it’s risky. The Brewers could decide to tender Woodruff a contract and trade him later, but it’s possible the situation could come to a head on Friday.

Woodruff is obviously very early into his recovery from the procedure, which took place two weeks ago, but it’s nice to hear he thinks a late-season return could be a possibility. The Brewers still might choose to non-tender him, since he’s due at least $11 million in arbitration and he’ll be a free agent next winter anyway.

Absolutely brutal news for the Brewers. Woodruff recently expressed optimism about his readiness for 2024 after being pulled from the Brewers’ Wild Card roster, but apparently he received some bad news after going for a second opinion on the shoulder. The 30-year-old missed more than two months this season due to shoulder inflammation, but returned in August to post a strong 2.13 ERA over eight starts. Now the Brewers will have to plan without him next year. It will be interesting to see what the team does in his final year of team control for 2024; it’s possible the two sides could work out a two-year deal with 2025 in mind. Otherwise, he becomes a non-tender possibility.

Woodruff didn’t pitch in the postseason for the Brewers due to a right shoulder injury and is slated to receive a second opinion this week. The positive update here is that there appears to be optimism from Milwaukee’s front office that the veteran right-hander isn’t facing a lengthy absence. There should be some clarity on his status heading into next season at some point in the next few weeks.

Counsell also noted that his availability for the remainder of the postseason is up in the air as well. It’s a brutal break for Woodruff and for the Brewers, as the right-hander had been pitching quite well down the stretch. The Brewers will still have Corbin Burnes and Freddy Peralta to lean on for the first two games of the series, but it gets dicey after that.

There are no real surprises here, as the Brewers are simply lining up their starting rotation the way they wish for the postseason. Colin Rea will start for the Brewers on Friday and Adrian Houser will take the ball on Sunday, with the bullpen expected to handle Saturday’s contest.