The Milwaukee Brewers are in the mix to win the National League Central or capture one of the NL’s three Wild Card spots.
Even in contention, they’ve shown a tendency to trade pitchers with more than one year remaining on their contract. There’s no guarantee the Brewers will be sellers at this year’s trade deadline, and their uneven play makes it difficult to predict whether they will subtract or add to the roster this season.
Ask any Brewers fan walking down the street in Milwaukee if the team has a chance to win the World Series this year, and they would probably say yes. Does the front office believe that?
Brewers Faced With Tough Decision
Right-handed starting pitcher Freddy Peralta’s name has surfaced in trade rumors over the last few weeks. The 29-year-old is in his eighth season with the Milwaukee Brewers, making an All-Star appearance in 2021.
The Brewers have a club option on his five-year, $15.5 million contract for next season, and he becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2027. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal examined whether the Brewers might trade the 2.90 ERA starter.
“A 6-1 run has elevated the Brewers to within three games of the Chicago Cubs and past the San Diego Padres for the third wild-card spot. Sitting on a potential surplus of starting pitching, even after trading righty Aaron Civale, the Brewers still might consider moving Peralta or lefty José Quintana,” wrote Rosenthal.
“But after the blowback the team experienced from the Josh Hader trade in 2022, owner Mark Attanasio almost certainly will be reluctant to authorize a similar move.”
In 2025, Peralta, a native of the Dominican Republic, is 8-4 with a 3.90 FIP, averaging 9.5 strikeouts per nine innings. However, Milwaukee has won just 10 of the 17 games he’s started this season. Rosenthal notes that there may be pushback from the organization and its fans if Attanasio trades Peralta.
“Attanasio is sensitive to perception. Peralta, on track for potentially his best season, is signed for a below-market $8 million salary both this season and next,” Rosenthal wrote. “Trading him at the deadline â after an offseason in which the Brewers parted with Haderâs successor, Devin Williams, and lost shortstop Willy Adames to free agency â likely would not be received well, both inside and outside the clubhouse.”
What Are Milwaukeeâs Chances Without Peralta?
The Milwaukee Brewers now have youngster Jacob Misiorowski at the Major League level, and he’s allowed just two earned runs in his first 16 innings, translating to a 1.13 ERA.
Other members of the rotation include José Quintana, Quinn Priester, and Chad Patrick. Veterans Brandon Woodruff and Nestor Cortes are both on the injured list.
“Peralta is not quite an ace â his 3.74 expected ERA is above his actual 2.90. But at his salary, heâs also not the kind of pitcher a small-market contender should trade at the deadline,” wrote Rosenthal. “Not unless the return significantly upgrades another part of the major-league roster.”
Moving on from Peralta now would be a risky move, especially if the Brewers want to make a run at a pennant or the World Series this year.
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