Red Sox Trade Idea Swaps Gold Glove Winner in Package for Brewers’ All-Star Freddy Peralta originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Boston Red Sox pitching rotation has been mediocre at best this season. Outside of a Cy Young caliber first-half by ace Garrett Crochet and the emergence of Bryan Bello as a viable number three, Boston is searching for answers. Injuries to Kutter Crawford and Tanner Houck complicated the early season months, but the hope was Lucas Giolito and Walker Buehler could anchor the rotation. Instead, Giolito is slowly dragging his ERA under five, and Buehler has been one of the worst pitchers in baseball.
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Monday’s 9-5 loss to the Los Angeles Angels only underlined Boston’s need for another starter, as Buehler issued seven walks, surrendered five runs, and failed to make it through the fifth inning. If the Red Sox hope to climb the AL playoff standings, bolstering their rotation will be essential.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel recently conjured up a list of potential trade deadline candidates. Among them is Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta, who they give a 20 percent chance of being dealt. More interestingly, the Red Sox headline the group labeled “best fits.”
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) pitches in the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at American Family Field. Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
“Peralta has been a steady presence for years, averaging 140 innings pitched with a 3.49 ERA over the past four seasons,” wrote Passan and McDaniel. “He’s on track to do that again, with his heavily used fastball coming in at a career-high average velocity of 94.9 mph this season. He has an ultra-cheap $8 million option for 2026.”
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If available, Peralta is the clear-cut jewel of the trade deadline. With club control through 2026 and amid another phenomenal season, Peralta would be a dream acquisition for Boston at the age of 29. In 16 starts, Peralta has a 2.76 ERA, 90 strikeouts across 88 innings. Placing him behind Crochet in a playoff lineup could stack up against any 1-2 punch in the league.
It will take a lot to pry Peralta away from Milwaukee, but they have shown a propensity of willingness to sell their stars early. If Boston is serious about contending, then packaging Wilyer Abreu and number-nine prospect RHP David Sandlin for Peralta should be open for discussion.
Milwaukee would receive two controllable pieces through at least 2029, and Boston snags the best arm on the market to pair with Crochet for the next two seasons.
Related: Red Sox Eyeing Two Key Upgrades Ahead of Trade Deadline: Report
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 24, 2025, where it first appeared.