The Milwaukee Brewers won 96 games and earned the No. 1 seed in the National League, a completely unexpected outcome for a team many viewed as middling coming into the season. Milwaukee has done an excellent job of maintaining its talent pipeline despite stingy ownership and its small-market billing.
We know the Brewers aren't going to shell out massive contracts in free agency. Instead, Milwaukee will build from within and keep on trading stars before they hit the open market. We've seen the Brewers trade Corbin Burnes and Devin Williams in back-to-back offseasons, with full knowledge that neither was going to sign an extension in Milwaukee. Now it sounds like Freddy Peralta is next up. He has an $8 million club option for 2026 and hits free agency a year from now. That is tremendous value for a Cy Young candidate.
Peralta tallied 33 starts for the Brewers this season, finishing with a 2.70 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. He struck out 204 in 176.2 innings. The 29-year-old misses bats with a fastball that rises dramatically and plays much faster than his raw velocity might suggest. He can also locate his off-speed pitches with precision, inducing a ton of swing-and-miss or soft contact. There are few more disciplined and well-rounded arms in MLB right now.
Teams should be lining up around the block for Peralta, even if he's just a rental. These 10 teams feel like the best bets.
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10. Atlanta Braves
Lord knows the Atlanta Braves need help on the mound. Injuries have decimated Atlanta's rotation in back-to-back seasons now. When healthy, Chris Sale and Spencer Strider comprise arguably the best one-two punch in the National League. But Strider was a shell of himself last season and it's unclear whether or not he can reach his pre-Tommy John heights again. Plus, Sale is 36. He won't last forever.
Atlanta has the pitching prospects necessary to pique Milwaukee's interest. Plus Alex Anthopoulos is something of a maven when it comes to extending stars before free agency — often at affordable price points the rest of MLB finds utterly baffling. Peralta would bring much-needed durability (knock on wood) to the top of Atlanta's rotation as the Braves look to buck recent trends. That should be worth it, even as a rental.
9. Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are probably the biggest sleeper in MLB next season. The 2025 campaign went south for a variety of reasons, injuries chief among them, but the Diamondbacks are loaded — both on the pitching front and on the positional front. Ketel Marte, Corbin Carroll and Geraldo Perdomo is as compelling a three-headed monster as you'll find in the NL. When healthy, Arizona has Corbin Burnes and Eduardo Rodríguez to anchor the rotation.
But, with Zac Gallen a free agent and Merrill Kelly a thing of the past, the Diamondbacks would be smart to beef up the pitching staff — especially with Burnes still nursing his surgically repaired elbow. Peralta would bring stability to a rotation that was so lacking in that department. Arizona's front office has also shown a willingness to spend in free agency, on pitchers in particular. So there's a chance the D-backs can bring him back in 2027 and beyond.
8. Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are pinching pennies these days, but Framber Valdez's impending free agency opens up a huge need on the mound. Hunter Brown has made his bones as a frontline ace, but the Astros struggled to establish consistent production behind him. That should improve with a healthier group next season — Luis García and Ronel Blanco highlight a group of four Astros starters working their way back from Tommy John surgery — but the Astros can't replace Valdez in-house.
Peralta is a slight upgrade, both on the mound and in the clubhouse. Plus he's cheap (for now) at $8 million. Houston has far too much talent to be missing the playoffs. With a bit of better luck and Peralta anchoring the rotation alongside Brown, the Astros would be in prime position for a return to October baseball in 2026. Houston wouldn't be absolutely hopeless when it comes to re-signing Peralta as a free agent either.
7. San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres completely decimated their farm system at the trade deadline, but A.J. Preller is entering the final year of his contract and he clearly does not care about the developmental pipeline. The Padres need to win now to justify Preller's latest trade spree, so why not double down and empty the treasure chest for Peralta? Few contenders need an ace more desperately, especially with Michael King and Dylan Cease both hitting free agency. The odds of San Diego re-signing both are practically zilch.
Peralta would give the Padres a huge boost, especially if one of King or Cease returns. San Diego's bullpen is arguably the best in MLB. The offense shouldn't have any trouble sustaining a 90-plus win pace in the regular season. The only thing standing between San Diego and a deep postseason run, aside from anomalous offensive variance, is a competent starting rotation. Peralta goes a long way on that front.
6. Chicago Cubs
The Brewers almost certainly don't want to trade Peralta to their foremost division rivals, whom they just expelled from the NLDS. Reuniting him with Craig Counsell is a non-starter for most fans. But MLB is a business, and the Chicago Cubs have the necessary prospect capital to force Milwaukee to the negotiating table. Plus: Chicago needs an ace like a man needs water in the desert. Jed Hoyer could be willing to run up the price in order to get a deal across, especially if Chicago whiffs on higher-profile targets like Tarik Skubal.
The impending return of Justin Steele will help to stabilize Chicago's rotation, but there are still major question marks about the Cubs' pitching depth. Shōta Imanaga took a step back and was unable to press deep into games in October. Matthew Boyd was sensational for large chunks of the regular season, but Milwaukee bullied him in October and it feels a bit foolish to expect All-Star results again. Cade Horton is on the come up, but he's not the sort of shutdown presence that Peralta offers.
5. New York Yankees
The New York Yankees will work Gerrit Cole back into the fold next season, which alleviates many of their rotational concerns — especially with Cam Schlittler breaking out and Luis Gil finally back to full strength. But we're still talking about the Yankees, who are never far from high-profile negotations. Adding Peralta as the No. 3 starter behind Cole and Max Fried, paired with the AL's most explosive offense, would put the Yankees squarely in the mix for a top seed and another World Series run.
New York has a ton of quality pitchers coming through the Minor League pipeline right now, which should appeal to Milwaukee. Plus, punting him to the AL is vastly preferable to some of the aforementioned suitors. The Yankees might aim even bigger (see: Skubal, Tarik), but Peralta is almost certainly on their radar.
4. Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles famously did the Corbin Burnes rental a couple years ago. Why not dial up the Brewers again and grab Peralta, who could provide a similar boost to a young roster in desperate need of dependable starting pitching? Baltimore's issues stretch far beyond the No. 1 spot in the rotation, but the O's are still flush with talented young boppers. This team shouldn't be scrapping its way to 75 wins. The 2025 campaign was abysmal and the front office should be determined to avoid a repeat at all costs.
We know damn well that the O's are not going to extend Peralta come 2027, but that doesn't mean they can't keep recycling the rental strategy. Burnes gave the O's a real shot in October. Samuel Basallo and this next wave of young talent should help the offense, at least in theory. Gunnar Henderson is due for a return to MVP-caliber form. Even if it's a one-and-done situation, Peralta can put the Orioles in a position to potentially win the AL East and finally break through in the postseason.
3. Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox will put one need above all else this winter: adding a second ace behind Garrett Crochet. Boston's offense should come alive with Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer and Kristian Campbell aging into their second years. Alex Bregman probably re-signs if the Red Sox are serious about it. But this pitching staff desperately needs extra punch. Peralta can provide it.
Boston is sure to look everywhere, from free agents like Dylan Cease and Framber Valdez to trade candidates as ambitious as Skubal. But Peralta feels like the right blend of affordability and dependability. Cease and Valdez aren't as steadfast and disciplined in their approach. Skubal would cost an arm, a leg and probably a third appendage, too. Peralta's $8 million price tag is highly desirable, even if the Red Sox need to worry about free agency in 2027.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
[Insert Nobody Wants This Preface Here]. The Los Angeles Dodgers are back in the World Series, feeling more and more unbeatable with each victory. The pitching staff has come on strong at full strength. Roki Sasaki is throwing gas again, as a closer for now but almost certainly as a starter come 2026. The offense won't go anywhere so long as Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts are in the lineup. But the Dodgers have MLB's No. 1 farm system, endless spending power and an insatiable desire to dominate MLB. You can bet your bottom dollar they call about Peralta.
Milwaukee is probably resistent to the idea of trading Peralta to the team that just eliminated them in the NLCS, but the Dodgers can probably make the best offer. It's also better than keeping him in the division, at the very least. Los Angeles might not empty the clip since its rotation is already so solid, which could favor the New Yorks or Bostons of the world, but pitching was a huge issue in the regular season. Health is not a guarantee with this group. Peralta virtually removes doubt from the equation in L.A.
1. New York Mets
The New York Mets are equipped with the deepest pockets in MLB, which should give David Stearns confidence that Peralta can be re-signed or even extended ahead of time. The Mets' offense is a known commodity. Pete Alonso's free agency complicates things a bit, but Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor won't stay out of the playoffs for long. What New York really needs is stability on the mound.
Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproat and Jonah Tong all appear ready to contribute in 2026, but McLean feels like the only lock to start 30-plus games and feature in October. Kodai Senga's mounting health issues dampen his value. Sean Manaea took a step back in 2025. David Peterson feels like a one-and-done All-Star. Clay Holmes continues solidly apace, but the Mets are missing that frontline, veteran ace to really anchor things. Peralta could solve their problems.