Brewers’ Woodruff Back For 2026 Season

The longest-tenured Brewers’ player has had his share of recent bad luck on the injury front. Having first pitched for Milwaukee in 2017, Woody experienced a serious shoulder injury towards the end of the 2023 season. After extensive rehabilitation, he finally pitched in a major-league game in July 2025, ending almost 21 months without an appearance.

Woodruff appeared to be ready to anchor the pitching staff down the stretch last season, hoping to lead his Brewers to their first World Series berth in 43 years. He pitched extremely well in his 12 starts, going 7-2 and posting a remarkable 3.20 ERA. It was not meant to be; he suffered a lat strain that ended his season prematurely once again. He was resigned to watch another Milwaukee playoff disappointment from the sidelines.

That brought Woodruff and Milwaukee to a monumental fork in the road. Woodruff was set to explore free agency, and he would have garnered some serious interest. As a result, the Brewers extended the qualifying offer, but they did so knowing they would be netting some sort of return either way Woody decided.

By choosing this route, Woodruff actually made this a win-win for both sides.

If Woodruff declined the team’s offer, it would have attached draft-related penalties to any club signing him in free agency, while pocketing the Brewers an extra premium pick in the event he signed elsewhere. Brewers officials considered it a toss-up whether he would accept, but the club was covered either way.

Big Woo’s decision may have come down to his health and what that meant to prospective buyers. His physical well-being may have dissuaded other teams from offering the 32-year-old a multi-year contract. The one-year proposal from the Brewers may have been his best option to gamble on himself for the 2027 free agency market. If he shows out in 2026 and proves his injuries are behind him, teams will more likely come calling.

The one unintended consequence of this may be what the Brewers decide to do with another one of their prized hurlers.

Now That Woodruff Is Back, What Is To Be Done About Peralta?

The other big variable in the Brewers’ hot stove news is what to do with right-hander Freddy Peralta. With one year remaining on his contract, rumors have been swirling more about when, than if, he will be traded.

During the GM meetings earlier this month, Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold sounded much more like a baseball man ready to make a deal to improve his team.

“We try to evaluate ourselves as hard as anybody,” he said. “Like, we want to make sure we’re turning over every rock we possibly can to do better, and sometimes that requires making really tough decisions. We’ve had to do that in the past, and we’re prepared to do the same thing this year.”

Arnold’s most enticing piece of trade bait is Peralta, who turned in arguably his finest season as a Brewer. He led the National League with 17 wins in his 33 starts, and he posted a 2.70 ERA and struck out 200 or more for the third straight season.

One national pundit has weighed in on how the Brewers will proceed. ESPN’s Jeff Passan feels the Woodruff signing signals the beginning of the end for Peralta in blue and gold. He writes: “Executives with an interest in acquiring Peralta believe it drastically increases the chances of him moving. If Woodruff had hit free agency, Peralta almost certainly would have stayed. Now Milwaukee has more flexibility to see how much it can get for a frontline starter with an ultra-cheap $8 million salary.”

What the Brewers must decide is if they believe a healthy Woodruff complements or replaces their most effective starting pitcher. That choice will alter the course of not only their 2026 campaign but future seasons to ensue.

End Of Woodruff Rant: The Time To Win Is Now

For the next four months, this issue will undoubtedly be at the forefront of the minds of loyal Brewers fans throughout Wisconsin.

Now that Woodruff is back in the fold, does this make Arnold more or less likely to move Peralta? Does this make Peralta expendable, or does it bolster Milwaukee’s brass to push all of their chips to the middle of the table?

Whichever path the Brewers choose, they do not have to act immediately on Peralta. A healthy Woodruff and effective Peralta at the front of their rotation for an entire season only enhances their championship aspirations. If things go south and Milwaukee is not in contention near the trade deadline, then they should look into getting what they can for Peralta.

As a lifelong True Blue Brew Crew fan, the answer to how they should act is crystal clear: Why not keep both pitchers and go all in for one more season to see how it shakes out? Wisconsinites deserve a winner, and their championship window may be slamming shut all too soon.