How Could Brewers Best Spend the Savings if They Trade Freddy Peralta?

[Matthew Trueblood]

Image courtesy of © Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

By no means do the Milwaukee Brewers need to trim their payroll for 2026. In fact, they could and should spend even more than they're currently slated to, and more than they're likely to spend before the offseason is over. If they decide to trade Freddy Peralta, it won't be to save the $8 million they owe him in 2026; it will be solely because they get a haul of young talent too good to pass up.

Still, they're likely to save money in any Peralta deal. They struck a nearly cash-neutral deal with the Yankees last winter when they traded Devin Williams, receiving Nestor Cortes as part of the package in return, but that was a rare case of being able to match need for need and dollar for dollar. Peralta is a much more valuable trade chip than Williams was, and any deal for him will bring back more than the package of Cortes and Caleb Durbin, so the Brewers are unlikely to take back a player with a substantial salary. 

How, then, should they spend whatever they save by moving their erstwhile ace, should they pull that trigger? First, let's assume (for the sake of argument) that no player acquired for Peralta fills any of the team's top needs for 2026. In reality, they're likely to get someone who can help immediately in such a deal, as they did with DL Hall and Joey Ortiz in the Corbin Burnes trade two offseasons ago and in the Williams trade last winter. It's very hard to predict who that might be, though, so let's sidestep the question by imagining a package that primarily makes them better in 2027 and beyond. Since they have superb pitching depth right now, trading Peralta without getting back an instant contributor isn't out of the question, if the prospects in question are strong enough.

For somewhere between $7 million and $10 million in 2026 payroll, the team could fill an interesting potential need, after moving Peralta. The market has been slow to develop for Harrison Bader and Austin Hays, two athletic, right-hitting outfielders coming off solid but unspectacular seasons and hitting free agency for a second time in their early 30s. A competent right-handed bat for a corner outfield spot is one profile the Brewers could fit seamlessly into their 26-man roster for the coming season, especially in the wake of the trade that sent Isaac Collins to the Royals.

If Blake Perkins and Garrett Mitchell are the right combination of healthy and good, they might keep Jackson Chourio primarily to left field, but it's much more likely that Chourio will spend at least a good chunk of 2026 in center. Sal Frelick has right field held down, but he's a lefty batter who could benefit tremendously from having a platoon partner to shield him from left-handed pitchers. If Chourio is in center, meanwhile, left field falls to some combination of Christian Yelich (when his back permits him to play the outfield), Jake Bauers and players expected to spend most of the season in the minors: Brandon Lockridge, Steward Berroa, and Akil Baddoo.

Bader, 31, batted a stellar .277/.347/.449 in 501 plate appearances with the Twins and Phillies in 2025. He's lost a step in center field, but he's a markedly above-average left fielder and a lefty-masher who figured some things out last year. He'd posted ugly numbers in the previous two seasons, though, and given his age, he's not finding the eight-figure salaries or multi-year offers he'd hoped for this winter. He would fit gorgeously into the team's defensive plans and add some punch against southpaws.

Hays, 30, has been more consistently competent than Bader at the plate. He batted .266/.315/.453 in 2025, taking 416 plate appearances for the Reds and cracking 16 home runs. He's not the same caliber of defender as Bader, though, and durability is an important question for him. 

Either of these players could help the Brewers in slightly less than a full-time role, but still a substantial one. They're likely to make something similar to what Peralta will in 2026, so if and when the Brewers get the offer they've been awaiting on their star hurler, they should turn their attention to signing a key complementary piece with the money the move frees up. 

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[nathanj42]

This is a good start to the conversation. Given those 2 veteran OFs as the top choices to use that salary, doesn't look like there's anything in the open FA market that is attractive to add to this Brewer roster. Locking down an essentially 6th platoon OF without options is not ideal, for either the Brewer roster nor the vet. Either OF would want more PAs than this Brewer roster would currently provide. Lockridge is currently in this role and is optionable, which is ideal to keep getting regular AAA PAs as opposed to sitting most MLB games.

This could all change if Mitchell struggles/gets injured again, but even there, I'd rather see Tyler Black get the MLB spot (LH replacing LH) given that both Chourio or Frelick can play CF and Black seems like he needs to move to OF at this point.

[Turning2]

They should keep Freddy. History says they probably won't. Keeping in the spirit of the article, I would say trade for Duran and equivalent prospect value. Freddy is a $20 million ace playing for $8 million, so a trade needs to account for that. If not Duran, possibly Abreu. Or trade for something equivalent to those scenarios. Bottom line - they need a bigger bat that can also play CF if need be. 

How about get really crazy - keep Freddy, trade prospects and a decent mid rotation guy like Patrick for Duran. Then offer Eugenio Suarez a Hoskins like deal (2 year) with incentives. That upgrades the offense and power at 3B and CF for about $26-$28 million additional spending. It moves Ortiz to a utility role, maintains solid SS defense by pushing  Turang over, and keeps Durbin in the lineup at 2B.. all while maintaining a solid 1-2 in Peralta and Woody with an ascending Mis and Priester in 3 and 4.  

It's good to have dreams as a small market fan... LOL. 

[JohnBriggs12]

I think Bader would be fine splitting time in center and left.  If they could get him for around $10-12 million a year I'd jump on it.  Anything less that that would be a tremendous bargain and a great fit for the Brewers.

[tmwiese55]

I'm guessing the hiccup for Bader is he's looking to lock in at least 3 years at that yearly value. Teams are balking at that, as I'm sure MKE would.   But yea, on a one year I'm happy with him and he seems like a great fit for the clubhouse too. 

Have to commit to two years and it gets trickier, but I think could still be done.  MKE is likely clearing at least Freddy/Woodruff's 30 mil off after next year.  Along with some other possible increasing guys nearing end of their control

[Frisbee Slider]

4 hours ago, Turning2 said:

They should keep Freddy. History says they probably won't.

I think they do keep Freddy. He seems to like being in Milwaukee just like Adames, who also was not traded.

Burnes burned bridges during arbitration and likely didn’t have goodwill with the organization.

Closers are almost always replaceable.

 

[Turning2]

15 minutes ago, Frisbee Slider said:

I think they do keep Freddy. He seems to like being in Milwaukee just like Adames, who also was not traded.

Burnes burned bridges during arbitration and likely didn’t have goodwill with the organization.

Closers are almost always replaceable.

 

Hope you're right. Regularly trading proven "birds in the hand" for multiple developing players is bound to catch up with them. 

[BarremlensTSSC]

Honestly, they probably wouldn't spend the $, at least not right away.  They could possibly add $ at the deadline if they're competitive, but I doubt they'd run out and spend the relatively modest savings they'd get by dealing Peralta.

[Turning2]

15 hours ago, JohnBriggs12 said:

I think Bader would be fine splitting time in center and left.  If they could get him for around $10-12 million a year I'd jump on it.  Anything less that that would be a tremendous bargain and a great fit for the Brewers.

Coming from a home with split loyalties, I saw a fair amount of Bader last year. If he could replicate last year's performance, that could be a decent pickup, if not a major needle mover. 

[Snoebird]

13 hours ago, Turning2 said:

Hope you're right. Regularly trading proven "birds in the hand" for multiple developing players is bound to catch up with them. 

 Attanasio hired Stearns because of this pitch: "We're going to develop pitchers in such quantities as to allow us to trade them at the height of their value." I heard Stearns make that pronouncement on his first Brewers telecast. And it has played out with consistency and remarkable success for MLB's smallest market. Pitchers are this team's currency, and Chris Hook has a complete rotation waiting in the wings. Only when MLB's Basic Agreement and TV arrangement provide more financial equality for teams do I expect the Brewers to carry pitchers well into their 30s. The market for Freddy is very promising. And if I'm Matt Arnold, I'm trying to build an org that will explode with talent when Made joins Chourio for a potentially historic run.  

[jay87shot]

Hard pass on Austin Hays, he is a pretty bad defensive OF and I can't see him being better than the average hitter he was last year. Bader has some upside however he wasn't great from 2022-2024, if we were confident in getting some form of the last year version of Harrison 1/10-12 would be a steal.

If we trade Freddy and the team does plan on using that money, I would save the money and use it to acquire a need come the trade deadline. I would rather trade for someone like Byron Buxton (if available) at the deadline than get a 2nd tier player like Bader.

[Snoebird]

15 minutes ago, jay87shot said:

Hard pass on Austin Hays, he is a pretty bad defensive OF and I can't see him being better than the average hitter he was last year. Bader has some upside however he wasn't great from 2022-2024, if we were confident in getting some form of the last year version of Harrison 1/10-12 would be a steal.

If we trade Freddy and the team does plan on using that money, I would save the money and use it to acquire a need come the trade deadline. I would rather trade for someone like Byron Buxton (if available) at the deadline than get a 2nd tier player like Bader.

Acquiring Buxton at the deadline makes more sense than pitting his injury history against Mitchell's at the start of the season and wondering if either will make it to the finish line. I would give Mitchell a full shot while keeping Tyler Black in the outfield mix. 

[GARY PETERSEN]

My suggestion would be to trade Peralta to the Dodgers for outfielder De Paula and Lefty Jackson Ferris. 

 If we have to throw in another player maybe Trevor Mcgill or DL Hall so be it.

Dodgers have the good young outfielders we need De Paula, Zyhir Hope, or Eduardo Quintero. There top 3 prospects. Mike Sirota is also highly ranked in the Dodger system. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

14 minutes ago, GARY PETERSEN said:

My suggestion would be to trade Peralta to the Dodgers for outfielder De Paula and Lefty Jackson Ferris. 

 If we have to throw in another player maybe Trevor Mcgill or DL Hall so be it.

Dodgers have the good young outfielders we need De Paula, Zyhir Hope, or Eduardo Quintero. There top 3 prospects. Mike Sirota is also highly ranked in the Dodger system. 

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