Woodruff officially a free agent; Brewers pick up Peralta's option

MILWAUKEE -- Brandon Woodruff, the lone remaining player from the 2017 Brewers team that emerged from a mini-rebuild to begin the longest stretch of sustained regular-season success in franchise history, became a free agent on Monday when he declined his half of a $20 million mutual option in his contract.

Woodruff gets a $10 million buyout instead, plus a chance to test the open market like he did in 2023-24, when he ultimately re-signed with the Brewers on a two-year deal while in the very early stages of a comeback from shoulder surgery.

The Brewers also announced that:

• They have picked up right-hander Freddy Peralta’s club option for 2026 at $8 million, an easy call with Peralta coming off a season in which he made 33 starts, with a 17-6 record and a 2.70 ERA. Peralta is heading into his final year before free agency.

• They declined their half of Danny Jansen’s $12 million mutual option and will pay a $500,000 buyout, making Jansen a free agent.

• They have added right-hander Coleman Crow (the Brewers’ No. 25 prospect, per MLB Pipeline) to the 40-man roster. Crow, who turns 25 next month, saw a promising 2025 season derailed beginning in July by hip and forearm injuries, but would have been a Minor League free agent if not added to the roster.

The Brewers still face the decision of whether to extend a qualifying offer to Woodruff, 32, who was 7-2 with a 3.20 ERA in 12 starts after returning in July from his multiyear shoulder rehab, only to be sidelined again in late September by a lat strain. He missed the postseason but expects to be healthy in time for Spring Training and, he hopes, a full season on the mound in 2026.

This year’s qualifying offer is $22.025 million, the average of the top 125 salaries in MLB. Why would the Brewers decline a $20 million option and pay a $10 million buyout, only to make a one-year offer north of $22 million? Because they would be banking on Woodruff declining the offer in order to seek a multiyear contract in free agency, in which case Milwaukee would be in line to receive a compensatory pick in next year’s MLB Draft. For more on that process, MLB.com’s Thomas Harrigan laid out the details.

With the contract options settled for Woodruff, Peralta and Jansen, three options remained in play:

C William Contreras ($12M club, $100,000 buyout)*
1B Rhys Hoskins ($18M mutual, $4M buyout)
LHP Jose Quintana ($15M mutual, $2M buyout)

*Contreras would be arbitration-eligible if option is declined