The Milwaukee Brewers may consider trading their ace, Freddy Peralta, during the winter as they eye a roster shake-up for the coming season after falling short of the World Series.
Peralta was a workhorse for the Brewers, throwing 176.2 innings and posting a 2.70 ERA, finishing with a 17-6 record on the season.
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The righty has a team option worth $8 million on his deal, giving the Brewers control of the pitcher.
Still, according to reporting from insider Andy McCullough of The Athletic, the team will at least listen to trade offers involving Peralta since he is one of their more valuable trade pieces who could fetch a noteworthy return.
“In this case, as the winter unfolds, the Brewers are expected to at least field offers for starting pitcher Freddy Peralta, according to people familiar with the situation who requested anonymity in order to speak freely,” McCollough wrote in his story for The Athletic.
“Milwaukee holds an $8 million option for 2026 on Peralta, who went 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA and made his second All-Star team this season. The team can afford to retain Peralta, but will feel compelled to at least explore the market for his services, especially given the relative weakness of this class of free-agent pitchers.
“The question will be if the Brewers treat Peralta like pitcher Corbin Burnes, who was dealt after the 2023 season, or shortstop Willy Adames, who reached free agency as a Brewer despite persistent trade rumors.”
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The Brewers are unlikely to pay Peralta, who will be 30 come next offseason. Instead, it is more likely that he walks during free agency, forcing the organization to get something in return for the pitcher or risk losing him for nothing.
He may be at his peak value as well. A team that trades for him will get a full season of ace production. If the Brewers hold onto him into the season and want to trade him at the deadline, his performance could decline, or worse, he gets injured.
Milwaukee will have a tricky balancing act as it weighs how to handle Peralta’s upcoming payday, and the dilemma could be resolved this winter rather than the next.
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