Milwaukee must decide within three days: re-sign a reliever with a 7.50 ERA or cut ties with a liability.
Jake Woodford has opted out of his minor league deal with the Milwaukee Brewers, giving the organization three days to either re-sign him or grant his release. The 29-year-old reliever’s 2024 season ended in a downward spiral. 50 ERA and failed to generate strikeout numbers that could justify his roster spot.
His struggles culminated in a June designation-for-assignment, signaling Milwaukee’s lack of confidence in his ability to rebound. The opt-out clause in Woodford’s deal now forces the Brewers to make a binary choice: commit to a pitcher with a recent history of mediocrity or cut ties and free up a roster spot. The clock starts now—three days to act, with no room for delay.
Woodford’s struggles weren’t isolated to 2024. 47 WHIP and a strikeout rate that’s dipped below league average in each of the last three seasons. 8 mph in 2024, a trend that’s mirrored his diminishing effectiveness.
That velocity regression is the smoking gun in this case. 8 mph over five years transforms a power arm into batting practice fodder, stripping away the margin for error that defined his early career. This physical decline correlates directly with his plummeting strikeout rates and rising WHIP, suggesting the issue isn't a simple mechanical fix but irreversible attrition.
For a reliever who lives in the upper quadrant of the zone, losing that heat turns borderline pitches into hard contact, making a rebound statistically unlikely without a fundamental overhaul that hasn't materialized in months of rehab. 31) in 2024, a unit that leaked runs in critical moments. Woodford’s presence—even in limited innings—added to the instability.
The opt-out forces the front office to confront a harsh reality: either double down on a pitcher who’s been a net negative for years or cut their losses and overhaul a relief corps that’s failed to stabilize despite multiple midseason adjustments. This decision spotlights a concerning trend in Milwaukee’s player acquisition philosophy. The Brewers, historically lauded for developing pitching, have increasingly relied on reclamation projects like Brad Boxberger and Drew Rasmussen who failed to stick.
Woodford represents another low-upside lottery ticket that hasn't paid off, exposing a potential blind spot in the front office’s evaluation metrics. Continuously recycling arms with diminishing stuff rather than pivoting to younger talent or established options creates a cycle of mediocrity. Keeping Woodford signals a commitment to this failed status quo; releasing him is an admission that the system needs a hard reset.
MLB Trade Rumors’ Steve Adams framed the situation as a high-stakes decision for Milwaukee. “Woodford’s opt-out is a clear signal that he’s seeking a fresh start,” Adams noted. ” What’s next: The Brewers’ front office must decide by the deadline whether to re-sign Woodford or release him.
If they opt for the latter, Woodford could pursue opportunities elsewhere as a free agent, while Milwaukee clears space for alternative roster moves. The outcome will ripple through the bullpen’s depth chart and could influence Milwaukee’s approach to relief pitching in the offseason, where the market for relievers is notoriously volatile and often overpriced. If re-signed, Woodford would join a group of recent Brewers relievers—like Brad Boxberger and Drew Rasmussen—who were given second chances only to underperform, raising questions about the organization’s evaluation process for bullpen arms.
The clock is ticking, and Milwaukee’s decision will either validate their patience or expose another misstep in a relief corps that’s been a chronic weak point since the team’s last playoff run in 2021. Read at MLB Trade Rumors
Woodford’s opt-out forces the Brewers into a high-pressure decision that could reshape their bullpen. Re-signing him risks repeating past failures; cutting him loose clears a liability but may not solve the team’s deeper relief needs. The outcome will reveal Milwaukee’s confidence in Woodford’s ability to regain form—or their willingness to move on from a pitcher who’s already cost them. It also underscores a broader pattern: the Brewers’ bullpen has been a revolving door of underperforming arms, and the front office’s next move will signal whether they’re finally ready to break the cycle or double down on a flawed approach.
MLB Trade Rumorsmlbtraderumors.comBy Anthony Franco2 Jul, 5:32en-US
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