Brewers Acquire 29-Year-Old Pitcher From Rays After Big Spring Training

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Feb 27, 2026; Port Charlotte, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Jake Woodford (41) throws a pitch during the third inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Charlotte Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Zach Pressnell

Tue, Mar 24, 2026 ·

3 min read

The Milwaukee Brewers came into the offseason needing to make some moves after a disappointing finish to the postseason. The Brewers finished the regular season with the best record in the league, but they were bounced by the Los Angeles Dodgers in October.

As a result, the Brewers traded players like Freddy Peralta , Caleb Durbin , and Isaac Collins . All three of these players helped land a lot of young talent to build out the Brewers farm system.

But a few days before Opening Day, the Brewers made another deal to get their roster ready for the season.

Brewers acquire Jake Woodford from the Rays

Sep 7, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona , USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Jake Woodford against the Boston Red Sox at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

According to Brewers reporter Adam McCalvy, the Brewers have agreed on a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays to acquire right handed pitcher Jake Woodford.

"The Brewers are making a trade, per source: Getting RHP Jake Woodford from the Rays for Minor League righty K.C. Hunt. Woodford was a non-roster invitee to Rays camp. More to come shortly." McCalvy wrote in a post to X on Tuesday.

McCalvy also noted that the Brewers moved Akil Baddoo to the 60-day injured list, which cleared a spot on the 40-man roster for Woodford.

This move pushes the Brewers in the right direction and adds another potential arm to their bullpen.

Jake Woodford had a big spring with the Rays

Woodford hasn't found much success in the big leagues over the last two years. He made 22 appearances for the Arizona Diamondbacks last year and held a 6.44 ERA with a 1.59 WHIP. He's allowing nearly 10 hits per nine innings over the course of his career, which is certainly much higher than any scout, coach, or fan would like to see.

Woodford is coming off a very productive spring training though. The righty made two starts and two appearances out of the bullpen, cover 7 1/3 innings for the Rays. He allowed four hits and one earned run while walking two batters and striking out five. He looked much better this spring than he has over the last two years, which could be why the Brewers opted to make a move for him. With Milwaukee's ability to develop pitching, Woodford could see some stark improvements in the coming months.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/brewers/onsi as Brewers Acquire 29-Year-Old Pitcher From Rays After Big Spring Training .