Qualifying offer decisions have become rather intriguing theater in Major League Baseball.
Milwaukee Brewers star Brandon Woodruff wound up accepting his $22.025 million qualifying offer on Tuesday, opting not to test the free-agent market with draft pick compensation attached to his name. That creates all sorts of payroll questions for a Brewers team that was probably prepared to let Woodruff walk had he turned the offer down.
Were the Brewers, in fact, expecting Woodruff to enter free agency? That seems to be the implication of one insider’s latest column on qualifying offer decisions across the sport.
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Woodruff was ‘most surprising’ QO decision
Sep 6, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff (53) delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Of the four players around the league who accepted the QO on Tuesday, MLB.com insider Mark Feinsand called Woodruff the “most surprising” decision. The others were Shota Imanaga of the Chicago Cubs, Gleyber Torres of the Detroit Tigers, and Trent Grisham of the New York Yankees.
“(Woodruff) proved that his shoulder was healthy after his 2024 surgery, but with a deep starting pitching crop on the free-agent market, he decided to take the $22.025 million salary (which, on top of his $10 million buyout from the player option he declined earlier this month, guarantees him $32.025 million through 2026).,” Feinsand wrote.
“Then again, while his numbers were good in 2025 — he ranked in the top 10 percent in both strikeout and walk percentage — Woodruff’s velocity was down: his fastball averaged 93 mph, down from the 96 mph he featured prior to his surgery.”
At its core, the qualifying offer is supposed to level the playing field by aiding teams who don’t have the deep pockets required to keep their free agents. But in cases like Woodruff’s, it’s a gamble teams take to try and read the market ahead of time and bet that those players won’t accept their offers.
Now, the Brewers have to figure out whether they want to pay Woodruff $32 million and also keep ace Freddy Peralta, whom they suggested publicly they wouldn’t trade in the wake of Woodruff’s decision.
In theory, it should be great news that the Brewers will have both two-time All-Stars under control this year, but we know with Milwaukee, saving money is always imperative.
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