Shocking news as Milwaukee Brewers nation accepted a deal of $35 million with….
The news came as no surprise.
But it was tough to digest nonetheless.
Unable to find a trade partner, the Milwaukee Brewers instead had their hand forced on Friday and non-tendered right-hander Brandon Woodruff, one of the best pitchers and most engaging individuals in franchise history.
Woodruff’s best two seasons came in 2021 and 2022 before he was bitten by the injury bug and forced to miss most of this past season – first with a subscapular strain that cost him to just two starts until August and then with an anterior capsule tear that forced him out of his scheduled Game 2 start in the NL wild-card playoff series.
In 11 starts in 2023, Woodruff went 5-1 with a 2.28 earned run average, WHIP of 0.82 and 74 strikeouts over 67 innings.
His complete-game shutout of the Miami Marlins on Sept. 11 at American Family Field was one of the Brewers’ two best pitching performances of the season along with the eight no-hit innings spun by Corbin Burnes against the New York Yankees one day earlier.
Woodruff’s final appearance for the Brewers came in Miami on Sept. 23, when he exited after five ineffective innings in which his fastball velocity had dipped noticeably.
