The Milwaukee Brewers are in a familiar spot this offseason - operating on a tight budget with little wiggle room to make a splash in free agency. That was already the case before Brandon Woodruff accepted the team’s qualifying offer, locking in a $22.025 million salary for 2026 - the highest single-season payday for a pitcher in franchise history.
While that might sound steep, it’s aging well in a market where starting pitchers are cashing in big. Still, with that kind of money committed to one arm, the Brewers don’t have much left to work with when it comes to rounding out the rest of the roster.
The good news? Milwaukee doesn’t have many glaring holes to fill.
Most of the core from their record-setting 2025 campaign is returning, giving them a solid foundation heading into 2026. But even strong rosters have spots that could use a bit of reinforcement - or at the very least, some internal competition.
Right now, the Brewers have three areas that could use attention. First, they’re short a third catcher on the 40-man roster - a depth move, but a necessary one over the course of a long season.
Second, they could use a left-handed starter in the rotation. That role could be filled internally if Aaron Ashby is stretched back out as a starter, but that’s far from a sure thing.
And third, while the club seems committed to Joey Ortiz at shortstop, adding another option to compete at the position wouldn’t hurt.
Of those three needs, adding a lefty starter is likely the most expensive - and the most important. Milwaukee leaned heavily on its pitching depth last season, and the value of having a reliable southpaw in the mix can’t be overstated.
Last offseason, they waited until late in the winter to sign José Quintana to a one-year, $4.25 million deal. That kind of late-winter bargain might be the path again this year.
Quintana remains a possibility, but the Brewers could also look to get creative. One potential route: targeting pitchers coming off injury-shortened seasons who are looking for short-term, "prove-it" deals. A name like Jordan Montgomery fits that mold - a talented left-hander who might be willing to bet on himself with a low-cost contract.
Another avenue Milwaukee has explored in the past is the international market, particularly players returning from success overseas. Back in 2019, they signed Josh Lindblom after his MVP run in the KBO.
That deal didn’t pan out - Lindblom was DFA’d before finishing his second year in Milwaukee - but the strategy still makes sense for a team looking to find value. Whether it’s the KBO in Korea or NPB in Japan, the Brewers could be scouting arms that dominated abroad and are ready for a return to MLB.
Which brings us to Foster Griffin - a name that might’ve been on Milwaukee’s radar, but one that’s now off the board.
The Washington Nationals just signed Griffin to a one-year, $5.5 million deal, a move that could sting for the Brewers. Griffin isn’t a perfect fit - his fastball sits in the low 90s and there are questions about how his deep pitch mix will play stateside - but he was dominant in Japan.
Over three seasons in NPB, Griffin posted a 2.57 ERA across more than 300 innings. That kind of production, combined with his left-handed profile and relatively low price tag, checked a lot of boxes for Milwaukee.
For a team with no lefties currently projected in their Opening Day rotation, Griffin would’ve brought balance, experience, and upside - all without breaking the bank. In short, he was the kind of calculated risk that fits the Brewers’ offseason blueprint.
But the Nationals beat them to it, and that move could have ripple effects across the league. With Griffin now in the fold, Washington might be more inclined to move MacKenzie Gore - a talented young lefty who’s been the subject of trade rumors before.
If they’re willing to deal Gore, the return could be significant. And here’s where it gets even more interesting: the Chicago Cubs - Milwaukee’s division rivals - have reportedly had their eye on Gore going back to last year’s trade deadline.
So not only did the Nationals scoop up a budget-friendly starter that might’ve made sense for the Brewers, they may have also set the stage for a potential blockbuster involving one of the most coveted young arms in the game - possibly to a team the Brewers will be battling all season long.
For now, Milwaukee will have to keep searching. The free-agent market still has options, and the international route remains viable. But with their payroll nearly maxed out and the list of affordable, high-upside arms shrinking, the Brewers will need to be sharp - and maybe a little lucky - to find the right fit before spring training rolls around.