Brandon Woodruff accepts qualifying offer, returns to Brewers for 2026

Brandon Woodruff accepted his qualifying offer with the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday, bringing the righty back to the team for the 2026 season.

The deal is for a one-year, $22.025 million contract. It’s another opportunity to see Woodruff with the Crew as he prepares to begin his age-33 season.

Woodruff’s value next season might largely come down to how many innings he provides as he’s dealt with injuries over the past two years, falling short of 70 total innings (all of which came between July and September this season). While health is always a murky subject, there’s no doubt that Woodruff’s deal could be a shrewd one for Milwaukee if he performs like he did this year. Over 64 2/3 innings, the righty pitched to a 3.20 ERA. He did this with marks of 11.55 K/9 and 1.95 BB/9, both career-bests.

Woodruff made his final start on September 17, missing out on the team’s playoff run. While he ended the season with an injury, he’s expected to be fully recovered when the team heads out for spring training. The Brewers’ regular season success came with a strong rotation. If Woodruff is back in form, he’ll help ensure the Brewers’ starting staff is an advantage once again.