The Milwaukee Brewers were the best team in baseball during the regular season, but they ran into a buzzsaw called the Los Angeles Dodgers in the postseason. As a result, the Brewers were sent home before the World Series.
Now Milwaukee has the offseason to build an even better roster going into next season. But the team also has one big trade candidate on their roster: ace Freddy Peralta.
It might not make sense for a contending team like the Brewers to make a move that takes their ace off the roster as they’re trying to win, but once you dig a little bit deeper, the idea begins to make a little more sense.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan recently poured some more fuel on the fire of Peralta’s trade rumors. Passan mentioned him as a player that he’s watching on the trade block this offseason, which is typically a strong indicator to a player being moved.
Oct 14, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) throws a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning during game two of the NLCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images / Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
“Everyone wants Tarik Skubal, the soon-to-be two-time American League Cy Young winner, but as of now, the industry expects Detroit to hold onto him, even with his free agency approaching after the 2026 season,” Passan wrote. “Another arm with questions as to whether he’ll go: Milwaukee right-hander Freddy Peralta, who at $8 million is cheap and will hit free agency next winter. Most of the bigger names that will draw interest are pitchers: Minnesota right-handers Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez, Washington left-hander MacKenzie Gore, St. Louis right-hander Sonny Gray.”
Trading Peralta might not make sense for most teams, but it does for the Brewers, especially considering they’ve made very similar moves in the past.
Peralta is entering the final year of his contract and Milwaukee seemingly understands it has close to no chance to re-sign him in free agency. A team like the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, or Los Angeles Dodgers will likely pay much more than the Brewers can afford.
Trading him would get years worth of value out of him instead of just the 2026 season. They’ve made similar moves with Josh Hader, Devin Williams, and Corbin Burnes in the past. The Brewers are no strangers to making a huge move like this.
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