All offseason, Milwaukee Brewers’ starting pitcher Freddy Peralta has been the subject of trade rumors. The national media is seemingly rooting for the Brewers to trade him to either the Yankees or the Mets. While the team picked up his $8 million team option for 2026, the 29-year-old is set to hit free agency after this season. Baseball Operations Head Matt Arnold has indicated that the team is in no hurry to trade him. Given the value Freddy Peralta brings to the team and despite him being a free agent after this season, I don’t see Milwaukee trading him this offseason.

Freddy Peralta Is Coming Off A Strong 2025 Season Embed from Getty Images

Freddy Peralta is coming off one of the best seasons of his career. Last season, the 29-year-old went 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA, 204 strikeouts, and a WHIP of 1.075. His 17 wins were a National League best, and he made his second career All-Star appearance. From August 12th until September 10th, the 29-year-old put together a scoreless inning streak of 30. He also became the third Brewers pitcher, behind Corbin Burnes and Yovani Gallardo, to have at least three seasons with over 200 strikeouts.

Freddy Peralta Has a “Willy Adames” Impact On The Team Embed from Getty Images

During the offseason, the Brewers made the easy decision to pick up his $8 million team option. However, after this upcoming season, Peralta will be eligible for free agency. Typically, the Brewers trade away players nearing free agency for prospects. We’ve seen them do this with stars like Corbin Burnes, Devin Williams, and Josh Hader. However, they did make an exception by keeping Willy Adames for his final season in Milwaukee before he ultimately departed. This was due to the impact that Adames made both in the clubhouse and on the field. Freddy Peralta makes the same impact on the team.

The Price To Acquire Him Is Very Steep

Recently, the Baltimore Orioles acquired starter Shane Baz from the Tampa Bay Rays. To acquire the 26-year-old, Baltimore was forced to part with four prospects, three of whom were ranked in the top 15 inside the Orioles organization. While Baz is still young and won’t be a free agent until 2029, he’s been mostly a disappointment. He had an injury-plagued three years with Tampa and is coming off a disappointing 2025 season.

Unlike Baz, Freddy Peralta is a highly accomplished starting pitcher. The two-time all-star is owed only $8 million this season. This is a bargain for an All-Star caliber starting pitcher that every team in baseball begs for. Given what it took to acquire Shane Baz, it’ll basically take a king’s ransom to acquire Freddy Peralta from the Brewers. While there are pitching-needy teams that have the prospects to acquire Peralta, none of them are likely willing to mortgage their future like that.

The Brewers Wouldn’t Have A Reliable Ace

Interesting from Matt Arnold, on the possibility Freddy Peralta could be traded with one year left before free agency: “To be honest, it’s not at the front of my mind.”

— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) October 23, 2025

If the Brewers were to trade Freddy Peralta now, they wouldn’t have a reliable ace inside their starting rotation. Brandon Woodruff has been an ace in the past, but is very injury-prone. Jacob Misiorowski is next in line to be the Brewers’ ace, but isn’t ready just yet. By trading Peralta now, Milwaukee would be taking a big gamble on Woodruff’s health and Misiorowski living up to his potential. The odds of this plan paying off are stacked against the Brewers.

Trading Him Now Sends The Wrong Message Embed from Getty Images

If the Brewers were knocked out early in the postseason again, fans would understand trading Freddy Peralta. However, Milwaukee won a franchise-best 97 games and advanced to the NLCS last year. Teams that are serious about winning don’t trade their all-star ace after a season like that. It would be sending the wrong message to the fans. It should be noted that after the Brewers won 96 games and made it to the NLCS in 2018, they didn’t trade any major players that offseason.

It’ll Be Easier To Trade Him At The Deadline

If the Brewers are out of the postseason hunt, they’ll have an easier time trading him at the deadline. There is no shortage of contenders looking for starting pitchers at that time. Milwaukee will have more suitors and given that he’ll be just a rental, teams won’t have to give up as much for him. Players who demand a higher return than teams are comfortable with are mostly dealt at the deadline anyway.

Expect To See Freddy Peralta For One Final Season Embed from Getty Images

While the national media continues to want the Brewers to trade Freddy Peralta, it isn’t happening this offseason. To win in this league, a team needs a reliable ace, and if Peralta is traded now, Milwaukee wouldn’t have one. It’ll take significantly more prospect capital that teams are unlikely to be willing to part with. They’ll have a much easier time trading him at the deadline. Given the impact he’s made both on and off the field, I can see Milwaukee making the same exception for the two-time all-star as they did with Willy Adames. It’s safe to expect Freddy Peralta to be starting for the Brewers on Opening Day against the White Sox.

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