The Brewers announced several roster moves on Monday. The team picked up the $8MM option on righty Freddy Peralta. Right-hander Brandon Woodruff declined his mutual option, while Milwaukee has declined its end of catcher Danny Jansen’s mutual option. Righty Coleman Crow has been added to the 40-man roster.
Peralta agreed to a five-year, $15.5MM extension ahead of the 2020 season. The deal bought out his remaining years of arbitration and included club options for 2025 and 2026. Milwaukee picked up the $8.1MM option last season and will do so again this year.
The decision to pick up Peralta’s option comes as no surprise after the 29-year-old led the National League in wins and recorded a career-best 2.70 ERA in 2025. He reached career highs in starts (33) and innings (176 2/3) while leading a pitching staff that ranked second in ERA during the regular season.
Peralta began his big-league tenure in a versatile role, bouncing between starting and relieving over his first three seasons. His fastball-led approach generated strikeouts at an elite rate, though he struggled with control. Peralta entered the rotation full-time in 2021. He pitched to a 2.81 ERA over 28 outings and earned his first All-Star bid. Right shoulder inflammation cost Peralta a chunk of 2022, but he’s been healthy since then, topping 30 starts and 165 innings in each of the past three seasons.
Woodruff declined his end of a $20MM mutual option, though the club might’ve done the same given his health struggles in recent years. He had been a fixture in the Milwaukee rotation alongside Peralta, but injuries have limited him to 23 starts since 2023. Shoulder inflammation cost Woodruff three months in 2023 and ultimately led to surgery that offseason. He missed the entire 2024 campaign and the first half of the 2025 season. Woodruff returned in July and delivered a dozen strong starts, posting a 3.20 ERA with an elite 32.3% strikeout rate. His velocity wasn’t at its pre-injury levels, but he was missing bats like he did at his peak.
Unfortunately, Woodruff was bitten by the injury bug once again in September. A lat strain ended his season in late September. The 32-year-old will head into free agency with a solid track record of performance, but a shaky healthy history. The flashes of dominance over this past season, as well as his past success, could be enough to garner a multi-year deal. Woodruff is a two-time All-Star who finished fifth in Cy Young voting in 2021.
Milwaukee acquired Jansen in a July trade with Tampa Bay. He hit well in 25 games with the Brewers, slashing .254/.346/.433. Jansen provided some catching depth for Milwaukee as they tried to ease the defensive load on William Contreras, who was playing through a fractured finger. Contreras has been one of the most durable catchers in the league over recent seasons, so picking up the $12MM option on Jansen likely wasn’t necessary. The Brewers can find a cheaper alternative to fill in for Contreras whenever he hits the bench or serves as DH.
Crow joined the organization in a December 2023 trade that sent Adrian Houser and Tyrone Taylor to the Mets. He posted a strong 2.51 ERA over 10 starts with Double-A Biloxi this year, earning a promotion to Triple-A. He was knocked around in two appearances with the Sounds before going down with a right flexor strain that did not require surgery. Getting added to the 40-man roster today is likely to prevent him from becoming a minor league free agent.
Peralta was a no-brainer. Woodruff is kind of a surprise but he’s obviously healthy enough to bet on himself in free agency
I think Woodruff is an absolute no brainer. 10 million on the opt out. Just a 10 mil decision. Cobb got 15 mil last season….
The Brewers 100% would have picked up Woodruffs $20m option. With the $10m buyout it was a net $10m decision.
Not sure what to think about Woody. I’m surprised he bet on himself with guaranteed money on the table and a shoulder I’m not exactly sure who is going to touch. He was a workhorse but that’s not him anymore. How much can he really be relied upon?
@cwizzy6
There will always be someone willing to bet on the guy’s past. Just look at MadBum’s last contract.
Woodruff and the Brewers could still comes to terms on two- or three-year deal.
Yeah, and if I’m the Brewers, I say dont do it. Some deep pocketed team can rest him until after the ASG and let him cruise the rest of the season and playoffs while the Brewers need him to carry the team all season and wear out by the Playoffs just like this season.
As I mentioned above, do you really think he can’t beat 10 million on the open market? Someone will surely give him far more, again Cobb got 15 mil after 3 starts the previous year. I bet Woodruff beats 10 million easy
True. For some reason I was thinking the option was 20mil, but thats the last contract he got for his rehab.
No your right the option is for 20 mil but he had a hefty 10 million dollar buyout so it was only a net 10 mil decision for him.
Flahtery got 2/$35m coming off weaker results and injury concerns. Woodruff should top 3/$55m pretty easily.
Sounds like the shoulder wasn’t the issue in Sept and it was the lat strain. Somebody and maybe even the crew will likely offer a 2 yr deal, maybe even 3 yrs with opt out(s). I’d like to see him back at the right price but with all these young arms we have idk what they’ll end up doing. Definitely would be weird seeing Woody in a different uniform thats for sure.
It wouldnt feel right, but is his lat injury from over-compensating with his shoulder injury? Thats all connected. Brewers did more than right by him but now they need to move on.
Shoulder is good. The lat injury was expected at some point due to his capsule surgery. Bad timing for the Brewers but good timing for whoever signs him.
The Brewers will offer him a QO, he’ll turn it down and some team will sign him to a 3-5/60-$100M contract.
He gets $10M for declining. And if he thinks he’s worth more than $20M he’ll get a QO probably. But even if not all he has to do is get more than $10M and he’s winning here….
No way he gets a QO, but he’ll get more than $10M guaranteed for sure. I’d guess a 3 yr or something with opt outs. No way Brewers want him for $20M, but would’ve taken him for $10M.
Woodruff is 100% getting a QO.
he got one
Quero will be ready to back up Contreras next year.
Mets are gonna regret giving away Coleman Crow for a couple guys that were only gonna plug holes very mediocrely.
I’d take Woodruff on the Red Sox to replace Giolito any day.
Would depend on their health. Both have injury concerns. You would need to be confident that Woodruff is healthy. If Woodruff is looking for a multiyear deal at over 20 million a year, I would be leery.
He won’t get that much in AAV, but he will certainly get a two-three year deal for $30-$45 million.
Flahtery got 2/$35m with worse results and serious injury history.
Wonder what the Brewers could get by trading Petalta
Call the Tigers and ask 😉 Probably less than they got for Burnes which could still be a great return. Some combo of Jung, Hamm, Anderson, Liranzo, Briceno are a few names that might be of interest.
Briceno makes a lot of sense for the brewers to replace Jake Bauers. Jung could help too. Add in the best arm prospect they can get Detroit to headline the deal and it might make sense for the Brewers IF and only if they bring back Woodruff.
The Brewers drafted Blake Burke 1B .300 Ave , .946 OPS, in 2024 1st rnd. They drafted Andrew Fischer 1B-3B in 2025. Both from Univ of Tennesee. They drafted Mike Boeve 1B-3B 2nd round in 2023. They drafted Brock Wilken 3B in 2023 1st rnd.. .876 OPS at double a They also have high rated Luke Adams 1B-3B at double A , usually has an obp .430 or better. They signed top rated Jesus Made, Luis Pena. Then there is Tyler Black, Josh Adamcewski. I highly doubt they trade for an infielder.
Bauers had .353 on base percentage, played good defense, had some power, played well in the playoffs two years in a row.
Better be more than Burnes. If not, keep him.
I know it’s a different writer, but in the QO outlook for pitchers, it tagged Woodruff as “likely” to receive the QO, and here it states the club option would have possibly been declined by the club. If they would decline the MO, they surely wouldn’t give the QO.
Yeah, there is no way Milwaukee was turning down a net $10m MO for Woodruff. Bad writing.
woodruff who has averaged 43ip last 3 years declined $20 mil and a chance to reset/rebuild and a potential payday end of 2026? what am i missing here?
Yes. He gets $10M from the buyout. So he’s only out 10M. He thinks he can get at least another 2 or 3 yr deal, likely at $25M – $45M range would be my guesstimate, and that beats the $10M he could’ve gotten if he exercised his option. He’s betting on himself. And he’ll probably try to get an opt out in there so if he has a healthy year he can reenter free agency and sign a bigger deal than that. That’s just baseball today, and with a possible lockout coming, get what you can right now!
My guess is that if Woodruff comes back they have an understanding that they will get last chance to match anything if something isn’t already figured out. When he was a FA last time they had it figured out but didnt sign him to have roster flexibility. He is more valuable then just pitching, he helped a lot of the young guys in how to handle the season mentality and approach. Stayed and traveled with team. He had a lot to do with clubhouse culture . They need to do extension for young guys. Sign Rengifo, Kelenic and trade for Josh Jung of Texas and they will compete with anyone again. Gotta add Justin Yeager to 40 man. Guys that might be available in trades may be Perkins, Myers and Megill.
I was sorta hoping they try to sign Luis Arraez to play 2nd and slot him in at lead off. Turang moves to SS, and then let Ortiz and Durbin battle for 3rd or trade for Paredes. Hard to tell what the Crew will come up with this offseason.
Arrarez goes way way way against the Brewers philosophy on defense. We already have enough weak hitting guys on offense and would be a huge liability on defense.
Arraez would be a terrible signing for anything over $5m. He’s a below average player.
The Brewers have a complete logjam of minor league infielders at the higher minor league levels, I count 8 or 9, they are not going to bring in many outside infielders, unless they package some of their infield prospects for lets say a young major league high performing SS. The Brewers have one of the top rated farm systems in all of baseball, because of the infield prospects.
Yeah, hard no on Arraez.
The Freddy Peralta contract was such a good signing for them. Smart move that worked out for both sides when it was made.
I’m always amazed at how cheap that contract was.
By a team that puts money into scouting, evaluation, and development. And can competently identify talent to sign to a longer contract before they get too expensive.
Well done Brewers.
The Brewers need help in CF. Chourio can’t play the position. Garrett Mitchell can’t be relied upon. They can’t have a double dead spot at the end of the lineup with Blake Perkins and Ortiz.
Look for the Brewers to go after Harrison Bader.
David Stearns will give him a 3 year $75 million contract and he will spend 2 years out of 3 on injured list.
BW to the Braves, calling it now unless his agent is boras lol
That $10m buyout was crazy. If it was $5m then Woody probably would have been back. I’m surprised he was given such a generous deal.
The Champs love oft-injured pitchers. Woodruff would fit right in and take Snell’s/Glasnow’s starts when they are resting a few months in the beginning of the year.
True. He would look like a solid 8th starter choice in LA.