The Milwaukee Brewers were one of the busiest teams in the league this offseason. They made a lot of big moves, including three substantial trades.
First, they traded Isaac Collins to the Kansas City Royals. This move seemingly came up out of nowhere. Freddy Peralta was traded to the New York Mets in a deal that a lot of people saw coming. This was seemingly one of their best moves this winter. Finally, they traded Caleb Durbin and a few others to the Boston Red Sox to land a trio of players who could compete for spots on the big league roster.
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But this doesn’t even mention the team’s biggest signing.
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Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter recently suggested that the Brewers decision to extend the qualifying offer to and eventually sign Brandon Woodruff was one of the best moves of their busy offseason.
Re-signing Brandon Woodruff on the qualifying offer was the perfect move
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
“The surprise decision by Brandon Woodruff to accept his qualifying offer put the budget-conscious Brewers in a tricky spot, and it was likely the last major domino that needed to fall to clinch a Freddy Peralta trade,” Reuter wrote. “Third baseman Caleb Durbin and outfielder Isaac Collins finished third and fourth in NL Rookie of the Year balloting, but both far exceeded expectations after never appearing on Top 100 prospect lists. The front office decided to sell high, bringing back a collection of controllable pieces.”
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The Brewers extended the qualifying offer, worth around $22 million, to Woodruff and nobody seemed to expect him to accept it. But he shocked the baseball world and opted for the one-year, $22 million deal with the Brewers.
This gave them the pitching rotation stability to trade Peralta. Woodruff’s veteran presence in the rotation is going to be a crucial piece of the puzzle for the Brewers this year. Their rotation is one of the youngest units in baseball and Woodruff is going to need to be the stabilizing force to keep them at the top of the National League.
While this might be a lot of money to pay Woodruff, it was one of the best deals the Brewers made this offseason. He’s going to be a key piece of the puzzle this season.
More MLB: Brewers Hit Jackpot With Offseason Freddy Peralta Trade
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/brewers/onsi as Brewers Already Getting Praise for $22 Million Offseason Signing.