Brewers execute last-minute offseason trade with Rays for versatile right-hander

The Milwaukee Brewers are heading into the 2026 season with a talented but inexperienced pitching staff. Outside of Brandon Woodruff, who has battled several injuries over the last three seasons, the Brewers don't have a starting pitcher who has truly logged a full season of big-league work. Jacob Misiorowski, Chad Patrick, Kyle Harrison, and Brandon Sproat all have major league experience, but none of them has put together a full season of MLB starts.

The Brewers aren't worried about the lack of experience in their starting rotation; they're excited about it. But regardless of how much confidence Pat Murphy has in his starting staff, there's no question that concerns exist about the young starters' workload in 2026. It's likely that Murphy and his coaching staff will, to some degree, limit the amount of work that each of their young starters logs in 2026, keeping one eye on their long-term health while also ensuring that each of them is available at the end of the season, when the Brewers need them most.

As a result, when looking at the Brewers' projected Opening Day roster, it's fair to wonder who will cover the innings that are left outstanding by the fact that some of the Brewers' talented young starters aren't likely to be used aggressively at least at the beginning of the season. Thankfully, the Brewers' front office remains hard at work with just two days remaining before Opening Day.

Just moments ago, Matt Arnold and company executed a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays to add some much-needed innings to the Brewers' 2026 pitching staff. Joining the Brewers is versatile right-hander Jake Woodford, who required Milwaukee's front office to part ways with minor league pitcher K.C. Hunt and cash.

Brewers acquire right-handed pitcher Jake Woodford from Tampa Bay Rays in last-minute offseason trade

Woodford is an intriguing arm. His surface-level numbers tell a story of a pitcher who hasn't been effective since the 2022 season when he posted a 2.23 ERA in 48.1 innings with the St. Louis Cardinals. In the time since, Woodford has spent time with the Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, and, most recently, the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Rays clearly saw something they liked in the 29-year-old former first-round pick, as they signed him to a minor league contract back in November. Woodford went on to post a 1.23 ERA in 7.1 innings with the Rays during the spring exhibition season, catching the eye of the Brewers' front office, who has had success unlocking the full potential of former top draft picks in recent seasons.

While Woodford's ERA has been nothing to write home about in recent years, his underlying metrics offer something for Brewers fans to be encouraged about. The 6'4" righty excels at limiting hard contact; his 86.1 mph average exit velocity against him and 33.6% hard hit rate each would have ranked in the 90th percentile or higher last year, had Woodford logged enough innings to be a "qualified pitcher." His five-pitch mix, which includes three fastball shapes -- something the Brewers' pitching coaches love to work with -- misses plenty of barrels despite also generating a low strikeout rate. With some improvement to his changeup and a sweeper that grades out as roughly league-average, Woodford could miss more bats and become a really exciting arm on Milwaukee's staff.

Meanwhile, K.C. Hunt, despite being an intriguing arm in Milwaukee's farm system, was left in a tough spot entering the 2026 season. With crowded pitching staffs in Double-A Biloxi, where Hunt spent the entire 2025 season, and Triple-A Nashville, the 25-year-old right-hander seemingly didn't have a clear home heading into the regular season. He should see plenty more opportunities in Tampa Bay's farm system, where he will look to improve on the 4.46 ERA that he posted in 26 starts with the Biloxi Shuckers last year.

Woodford certainly has some upside, but at the very least, he has the ability to eat plenty of innings in the Brewers' bullpen in low-leverage situations this year. As a member of the Rays' 40-man roster prior to the trade, the Brewers needed to make space for the Woodford on their own 40-man roster. The corresponding roster move is an unfortunate one.

To make room on the 40-man roster, the Brewers have placed outfielder Akil Baddoo on the 60-day IL following a quad strain that the offseason free agent signee suffered in early March. Though it wasn't initially thought to be a serious injury, Baddoo's quad strain is more severe than the Brewers first believed, and he likely won't return until June.