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Red Sox CBO Craig Breslow
The first two big free agent dominoes fell on Tuesday at the Winter Meetings in Orlando. Kyle Schwarber is returning to the Philadelphia Phillies, to nobody’s surprise. Closer Edwin Diaz is leaving the New York Mets for the Los Angeles Dodgers. So far, the Boston Red Sox have been quiet.
Boston Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow got an early start with his roster for 2026. He acquired Sonny Gray from the St. Louis Cardinals and Johan Oviedo from the Pittsburgh Pirates in trades.
Pitching is one priority this season for Breslow, and he may not be done. The biggest names remaining on the free agent market are Framber Valdez of the Houston Astros and Ranger Suarez of the Phillies. There is one pitcher who has trade talk surrounding him is Freddy Peralta of the Milwaukee Brewers.
Red Sox Predicted as Best Fit For Freddy Peralta
David Schoenfield of ESPN listed the chances at 25% that Peralta gets traded this offseason as he enters the final year of a five-year contract that will pay him $8 million. If he gets traded, Schoenfield listed the Red Sox as the best fit for the right-hander.
Boston has Garrett Crochet at the top of the rotation, and Brayan Bello and Sonny Gray would currently slot in behind him. However, with the American League East getting deeper with each passing season, Schoenfield explains why he is a fit for the Red Sox.
“The American League East is shaping up as a tough race, and the Red Sox are deep in pitching prospects to swing a deal if that’s what the Brewers desire, including MLB-ready starters (Peyton) Tolle and Connelly Early (who impressed in a four-game stint late in the season),” Schoenfield wrote.
Peralta went 17-5 for the Brewers in 2025 with a 2.70 ERA in 176.2 innings. He struck out 204 and walked 66 with a 5.5 WAR. He finished fifth in the National League Cy Young voting. Paul Skenes of the Pirates won the award.
Boston’s Price For Acquiring Freddy Peralta
As mentioned above, Schoenfield Milwaukee would prefer MLB-ready starters. Tolle and Early could be considered MLB-ready starters. Boston also has a slew of outfielders who could move. Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu continue to be the two most mentioned names.
“The Brewers went for major-league-ready players in Ortiz and Hall in the Burnes trade, rather than prospects in the low minors, so if they trade Peralta, that would likely be their inclination once again. The Red Sox could also trade from their crowded outfield. Jarren Duran has the most service time but still has three seasons of team control, so three years of Duran for one year of Peralta isn’t the best match,” Schoenfield wrote.
Breslow is not someone who overreacts to what other teams do. However, he can’t ignore that the Toronto Blue Jays are adding Dylan Cease in free agency. That was the first big offseason domino to fall last month. That makes the defending American League champs that much better.
Boston would need to find another starter to be in the mix in the AL East. The Blue Jays’ rotation got better, and the New York Yankees are expected to get their rotation back healthy. Peralta would solidify the Red Sox’s rotation in a loaded division.
Scott Roche Scott Roche covers college football, NFL, NBA and MLB for Heavy.com and has three decades of sports writing, covering everything from college to professional sports. More about Scott Roche
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