Brewers Officially Lose Four to Free Agency, Including Brandon Woodruff

The Milwaukee Brewers took care of business and wrapped up the 2026 World Series earlier in the week, and that kicked off the offseason around Major League Baseball.

In the immediate aftermath of the World Series coming to a close, there's bookkeeping that needs to be handled right away. For example, free agency. Throughout baseball, there were plenty of pending free agents. On Thursday, those players officially became free agents. For Milwaukee, that involved Brandon Woodruff, Jake Bauers and JoJo Romero. On Thursday, Dustin May also declined his mutual option and became a free agent.

Bauers had a breakout season for the ages in 2026. This is a guy who was close to retirement just a few years ago. When the 2026 season began, Bauers had played in over 100 games in a season just three times (2019, 2021 and 2024). He had never played in more than 117 games in a single big league campaign. He had never hit more than 12 home runs in a season or batted higher than .235.

Everything changed in 2026. Bauers played in 144 games and slashed .266/.389/.484 with 26 home runs and 86 RBIs. Plus, he was named the National League Championship League Most Valuable Player. He earned himself a nice payday. Hopefully, that is in Milwaukee. But wherever he lands, he earned the check.

Woodruff technically is a free agent right now. If Woodruff continues his pro baseball career into 2027, it would be a massive shock if he were anywhere other than Milwaukee. He just worked his way back for months to pitch for this team in the World Series. He has spent his entire career in Milwaukee. The price tag shouldn't be aggressive after missing all the time he has over the last few years and he can still pitch. If he plays in 2027, it should be in Milwaukee.

If the price is right, Romero would be a very solid player to bring back. The lefty was solid down the stretch after being acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals and being activated off the Injured List. He had a 3.38 ERA in 11 appearances down the stretch for the Brewers in the regular season. Then, he had a 1.13 ERA in the postseason in seven appearances. If the price is right, the Brewers should pursue a reunion.

Another summer trade addition. May didn't have excellent numbers in Milwaukee, but he did everything the club asked of him. He gave the Brewers much-needed rotation depth and helped in the playoffs. He should have a solid payday coming his way and it wouldn't be a shock if it were elsewhere.