Milwaukee Brewers agree to 1-year contracts with Josh Hader and Brandon Woodruff, avoiding arbitration

Today is the deadline for players and teams to submit arbitration figures for the 2021 season. As usual, the day features a flurry of activity as teams come to agreements with their players to avoid arbitration. Those that don’t sign will exchange figures and prepare for an arbitration hearing. However, the Brewers will not have any arbitration hearings this season, as the team has announced that both Josh Hader and Brandon Woodruff have agreed to 1-year deals, avoiding arbitration.

Josh Hader was originally given a salary of $4.1 million through arbitration in 2020, though the shortened season left in doubt how much of a raise he would get for 2021. MLB Trade Rumors had predicted an arbitration salary between $4.5 and $6.8 million, depending on how arbitrators decide to evaluate the players. Hader ends up with a salary on the high end of that, with Mark Feinsand reporting that the Brewers and Hader settled at $6.675 million for 2021.

Meanwhile, Brandon Woodruff is set for a good salary increase as well, as he is in his first year of arbitration eligibility. MLB Trade Rumors had him predicted for a salary between $2.3 and $4.5 million in 2021. The details for Woodruff have not been reported yet, but if it follows closer to the estimate for what Hader will receive, we can expect to see a salary for Woodruff closer to the $4.5 million figure.

Those are the only two arbitration cases that were pending for the Brewers, so there will be no cases to deal with as Spring Training approaches.

UPDATE: Bob Nightengale reports that Brandon Woodruff will receive $3.275 million in 2021. That figure comes in more in the middle of the estimates, but still represents a healthy raise for the starting pitcher. Jon Heyman also notes that the salary could increase with awards.