Former Brewer who was squeezed out of roster spot now thriving with Orioles

Back in December of 2024, shortly after the Winter Meetings, the Milwaukee Brewers signed left-hander Grant Wolfram to a major league contract. Wolfram had yet to make his MLB debut, so the Brewers giving him a major league deal and a spot on their 40-man roster was a significant development.

Prior to the Brewers signing him ahead of the 2025 season, Wolfram had spent the previous six years in the Texas Rangers' minor league system trying to crack the big-league roster. Minor leaguers become free agents after six seasons without earning a spot on a major-league 40-man roster, which is why the Brewers were able to add Wolfram to their organization without having to send any compensation to Texas in return.

Though the Brewers have added minor league free agents to their 40-man roster in the offseason before -- Blake Perkins stands out as the most recent, and most successful example -- many fans were confused as to why the front office would waste a valuable roster spot on a 28-year-old minor league reliever who had zero big-league experience. Wolfram was an 18th-round pick, wasn't a top prospect in the Rangers' system, and seemingly could have been signed on a minor league deal.

However, Brewers fans didn't get to see what the front office saw in the 6'7" left-hander, as a few short months after Wolfram was added to the organization, he was traded away. In early April of last year, in dire need of starting pitching and captivated by the profile of a Boston Red Sox pitcher who had been shoved down his organization's depth chart, the Brewers' front office swung an early-season trade for Quinn Priester.

Milwaukee had a full 40-man roster at the time of the Priester deal and didn't surrender any members of it to Boston, meaning someone had to be removed to make room for the team's new starting pitcher. At the bottom of the depth chart was Wolfram, who was initially designated for assignment before the Brewers quickly found a trade partner in the Baltimore Orioles. Just hours after Priester was traded to Milwaukee, the player he was replacing on the 40-man, Wolfram, was traded to Baltimore for outfielder Daz Cameron.

Fast forward just over one year, and that seemingly insignificant trade to make room for Priester on the 40-man now looks like one the Brewers wish they could take back. Wolfram, finally given an opportunity to prove himself at the major league level, is thriving in Baltimore.

The Brewers' model was right about Grant Wolfram

The now-29-year-old Wolfram didn't have too big of a role in Baltimore's bullpen last year, but he did get a taste of the big leagues at long last. In 2025, the southpaw made 21 appearances and posted a lackluster 5.40 ERA. However, his 31 strikeouts in 26.2 innings pitched clearly piqued the interest of Baltimore's new coaching staff, as Wolfram has become a key part of the Orioles' bullpen in 2026.

Pitching often in high-leverage situations, Wolfram boasts a 2.89 ERA through his first 10 appearances of the 2026 season, while maintaining a 38.1% strikeout rate that ranks him in the 98th percentile of all big-league pitchers. Paired with a stellar 2.4% walk rate, that also ranks in the 98th percentile, Wolfram is finally living up to his true potential and playing a huge role in an Orioles' bullpen that has been among the best in baseball.

Meanwhile, the Brewers' once-crowded bullpen picture already looks like they could use an arm like Wolfram's in the first month of the 2026 season. That said, at this time last year, it made plenty of sense for the Brewers to prioritize adding a starting pitcher over keeping another intriguing relief arm on the 40-man roster. At least Milwaukee's front office can relish the fact that their highly successful model when it comes to pitching acquisitions was once again right when evaluating Wolfram last offseason.

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