RHP Brandon Woodruff
Rotation depth is always important, especially when you’re in the middle of the season. The wear and tear of a 162-game campaign can grind down pitchers. The Diamondbacks could make a now investment for production later on in the year by signing Brandon Woodruff to a contract with the hopes he could be a major mid-season reinforcement.
When healthy, Brandon Woodruff can be an ace-caliber pitcher. Over the last three seasons, Woodruff owns a 2.70 ERA, 3.11 FIP, and 0.98 WHIP. He has struck out 30% of the batters he’s faced in this time frame with an outstanding 6.3% walk rate. His 1.01 HR/9 rate is solid, but he would probably look better in Chase Field. Woodruff has a 6.5% barrel rate, so he’s done outstanding at preventing good contact.
Woodruff was arguably on pace for his best season yet but was limited to just 67 innings before missing a good chunk of 2023 due to shoulder issues. Those issues came to a head in mid-October as he underwent shoulder surgery. With uncertainty about his 2024 season, the Brewers opted to non-tender Woodruff, making him a free agent.
But Woodruff is expected to be back sometime during the summer. Signing Woodruff now would be like a mid-season insurance policy. He could arguably be their best summer addition. Adding Woodruff on a back-loaded two-year deal could be an extremely smart investment.