Milwaukee Brewers ace Freddy Peralta could very well be traded this winter, as the right-handed NL Cy Young candidate is entering the final year of his contract in 2026. The Brewers would prefer to get what they can for Peralta now, rather than risk losing him for nothing at all.
Any trade for Peralta would have to include a mix of MLB-ready talent and prospect capital. The Brewers want to continue competing and acquire pieces for the future. Thankfully for them, the trade market for starting pitchers has skyrocketed this offseason. A player like Peralta could fetch quite the haul. especially if the right teams are interested.
Why the Braves won't trade for Freddy Peralta
Atlanta is walking on eggshells this winter. Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos claims he wants to land a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher, yet every time he has the chance he finds a reason not to. The issue in landing Peralta is that it'd come at an extraordinary cost. The Braves farm system isn't all that strong, and trading from the top of it at this point would hurt the team's organizational depth.
Per Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon, the Braves are reluctant to trade any of their top pitching prospects. That likely means prospects like 2024 first-round pick Cam Caminiti, a left-handed pitcher, and right-handed pitcher JR Ritchie are off-limits. That's not going to get a deal done, as the Brewers have every right to ask for one of Atlanta's best young pitchers in return for a Cy Young candidate.
A far more likely scenario for Atlanta is that they wait around for the free-agent market to crater. Rather than trading for a Peralta or Tarik Skubal, the Braves can instead sign one of Framber Valdez, Ranger Suarez or Zac Gallen when the price is right.
Dodgers are playing the waiting game
As is usually the case with the Dodgers front office (at least since Andrew Friedman took over), Los Angeles is biding their time, hoping the price comes down for the likes of Peralta, Skubal and any number of star free agents they can add to their embarrassment of riches. This strategy tends to work more for free agents than it does trade candidates, as the former don't have time on their side, and the market can often dictate their own self-worth.
But as it pertains to the trade market, the Dodgers don't have nearly as much sway. Los Angeles cannot influence entire organizations as it can specific players. Add in that Milwaukee would likely want a proven starting pitcher in return for Peralta, and you can understand why Friedman might be lukewarm on the idea, at least for now.
The Dodgers would be in the market for a starting pitcher if only to add to their current rotation depth. Taking a proven young arm from that group and sending him elsewhere defeats the entire purpose. Here's what Rosenthal and Sammon wrote on Monday.
"The Brewers’ price, even with Peralta under club control for one more season, remains high. A major-league-ready starting pitcher figures to be part of the desired return, so the team can remain a contender."
To an earlier point, the Brewers asking price remains sky high. Unless that changes, Peralta is unlikely to become a Dodger.
Red Sox are a dark horse for Freddy Peralta
The Boston Red Sox already added one starting pitcher to their rotation this winter in former Cardinals right-hander Sonny Gray. While Gray was once an All-Star caliber rotation piece, he is no longer that. As a result, Red Sox fans have been calling on Craig Breslow to add another top-of-the-rotation arm to build out this staff.
Peralta makes a ton of sense for the Red Sox for several reasons. First and most importantly, he'd instantly transform their pitching staff into arguably the best in the American League. Second, he can be had for cheap. Any trade return for Peralta would be a haul, of course, as the Brewers are said to be looking for a big-league ready arm and then some. The Red Sox farm system remains one of the best in baseball, so they have the assets to get it done.
The 29-year-old Peralta will make just $8 million this coming season. That's far cheaper than any of the free-agent pitchers on the open market, which is why Breslow could consider making such a move even if it hurts the farm system in the long term. And, as outlined by Rosenthal and Sammon, if Peralta were to leave next winter, Boston would be able to recoup some of his value.
"And the calculus also includes this: Any team that acquires Peralta can recoup one prospect by making him a qualifying offer and receiving a likely Competitive Balance Round A pick in the low 30s in 2027."
Boston doesn't have to add a free-agent starting pitcher, but they ought to given what they're up against in the AL East alone. The Blue Jays and Orioles have gotten much better. The Yankees are a mainstay. And the Red Sox could be forced to replace Alex Bregman on the fly. Improving their rotation is another step towards postseason contention.