The American rock band Talking Heads released a song 45 years ago called “Once in a Lifetime” that features a line repeated over and over again.
“Same as it ever was.” My mind went right to those lyrics moments after the news broke last week that the Milwaukee Brewers had traded ace pitcher Freddy Peralta to the New York Mets.
New year, same franchise. Perhaps it says more about me and the Brewers’ fanbase more than anything that many were OK with the trade. After all, Peralta, who spent eight years with Milwaukee, would have left in free agency after the 2026 season anyway.
So Brewers President of Baseball Operations Matt Arnold had no choice but to shop Peralta for some sort of return, and who better to negotiate with than his old pal David Stearns — on his anniversary, no less — who was a front office executive in Milwaukee from 2015-23 before he, too, outgrew the smallest market in baseball and headed to the Big Apple.
But maybe we’re asking ourselves the wrong question.
It’s not “What can the Brewers get in return for Peralta?” but rather, “Why do they have to trade him in the first place?”
It’s a question to which Brewers fans have simply accepted the answer.
Well, they play in the smallest market in baseball, of course. So the odds are stacked against them, and teams in larger markets are always going to have an advantage.
This will always be true as long as Major League Baseball remains without a salary cap, although those days might be numbered with the collective bargaining agreement set to expire in December. And it goes beyond how much money your owner’s worth. How much revenue your team produces, most notably when it comes to television deals, plays an important role as well. Heck, we’re not even sure how we’ll watch Brewers games in 2026 with FanDuel Sports Network having all sorts of financial issues.
At least that’s what all these billionaire owners want you to think.
Mark Attanasio, for instance, is reportedly worth $1.9 billion, which would put him 22nd among the 30 MLB owners. Attanasio, 68, has shown in the past that he’s willing to spend a little more when the time is right — at least in his eyes — but it still pales in comparison to what teams like the Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers, among others, will fork up in an effort to be the best team in baseball.
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Milwaukee was 23rd in the MLB when it came to payroll last season at $115.1 million. For all you non-mathematicians out there, that comes to roughly 6% of what Attanasio is worth.
Of course, you also have to factor in that Attanasio is a majority shareholder of English football team Norwich City, a venture he became involved in 3 1/2 years ago, and he’s also a part owner of the Milwaukee Admirals. So the man isn’t hurting for money, although you wouldn’t know it based on his lack of spending on his baseball team — or the lengths he’ll go to acquire sand.
Oh, and by the way, no team in baseball has spent less money this offseason than the Milwaukee Brewers.
Long story short, Attanasio can essentially hide behind the fact that the Brewers play in a small market. Might as well just be owned by the Seligs again, huh?
But boy, should Attanasio be grateful for the scouting department Milwaukee has in place. Spearheaded by Arnold, the Brewers have had a knack for developing talent, finding diamonds in the rough, and turning an island of misfit toys into one of the shiniest stores on the block.
This is why year after year, Milwaukee finds itself winning north of 90 games, competing for and winning division titles, and as a perennial playoff team. It sure isn’t because of Attanasio opening up his wallet.
Fortunately, the system the Brewers have in place is one of the best in baseball. How long that remains the case is anyone’s guess, but we’ve almost taken for granted that the Brewers will take chicken youknow- what and turn it into chicken salad.
Rightfully so, there’s excitement about the prospects the Brewers got from the Mets in exchange for Peralta and fellow pitcher Tobias Myers. Infielder/ outfielder Jett Williams and pitcher Brandon Sproat could both make the opening day roster in 2026 and are each rated among the game’s top 100 prospects. Many now consider the Brewers’ farm system the best in baseball, and Milwaukee remains deep at starting pitcher despite the departure of Peralta and Myers.
So is the world falling because the Brewers parted ways with one of their best players, a la Devin Williams, Willy Adames, Corbin Burnes, Josh Hader, etc.? It is not. And no matter what the “experts” project heading into next season, the Brewers should be a team contending for the NL Central, or at the very least a playoff spot, once again because of the philosophy they have in place and their organizational depth. Perhaps it’s not a good thing we’ve become numb to these kinds of trades, that we’ve excepted them as the reality we live in. But 80% of the league, if not higher, would love to trade places with the Brewers.
It might not be the best of situations to be in. But it sure as heck isn’t the worst.
Same as it ever was? Maybe that’s not necessarily a bad thing.