Sources: Brewers "Moving Toward" Freddy Peralta Trade, with Yankees in Lead

[Matthew Trueblood]

Image courtesy of © Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Brewers are "moving toward a deal" that would send starting pitcher Freddy Peralta out of town for the final year of his team-friendly contract, according to a source familiar with the team's talks. Multiple teams remain involved, but the Yankees have emerged as the most likely fit, with 2024 American League Rookie of the Year Luis Gil as the headliner in that potential package. Gil is just two years younger than Peralta and only comes with three years of team control, but he and the Yankees agreed on a one-year deal worth $2.1625 million for 2026 last week, so he would give the team both extra control years and some cost savings.

That Gil is at the center of the discussions between Milwaukee and New York indicates what the Brewers are prioritizing as they entertain offers for their erstwhile ace. In talks with the Diamondbacks, they have discussed starter Ryne Nelson, who also comes with three years of control and modest cost savings, a source said. Emmet Sheehan, Gavin Stone and Justin Wrobleski were discussed when the Dodgers checked in on Peralta. In short, if Milwaukee is to move Peralta coming off his strongest overall season in the majors, they'll require that the package include a player (ideally another starter) whom they can keep around for at least three years and who makes up some of the short-term value they will lose by dealing him.

Any trade would also include a high-caliber prospect and/or a valuable draft pick. Both the Diamondbacks and the Orioles have picks in Competitive Balance Round A this July, and the Brewers have discussed packages that would involve them receiving that pick from either team. Unsurprisingly, Milwaukee asked about infielder Jordan Lawlar, still struggling to establish himself in Arizona but with abundant talent and time on his side. 

Milwaukee's willingness to trade Peralta is not news, but they have gotten materially closer to doing so over the past two weeks, according to sources familiar with their plans. As uncertainty about any broadcasting revenue for 2026 increases, the chances that the team will trade Peralta have ticked up, too. By getting back a player like Gil or Nelson, they would save at least $5 million while backfilling the spot in their projected rotation vacated by Peralta. Therefore, they would be able to turn around and sign another player to round out their roster in the endgame of the offseason (perhaps as late as mid-February) without pushing their projected payroll beyond its current range of $115 million. 

Typically, teams do best in trades like this when they focus solely on maximizing overall value. The Brewers have experience, however, in striking the right balance between filling needs and accumulating talent. With a Peralta trade, they've made clear to the many suitors (Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, both New York teams, the Giants, the Padres, the Dodgers, the Diamondbacks and the Astros have all shown interest at different points this winter) that a return must take the right shape. If their price isn't met, they'll retain Peralta, and make do with whatever else they can afford to supplement the three-time defending NL Central champions. It looks more likely, though, that one of the final few interested parties will give them what they're looking for.

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[SF70]

FYI—

Baltimore gave up their comp A pick in their acquisition of Shane Baz from the Rays.

[jay87shot]

I think Luis Gil would be an ok start but his control is a big question and his 3 pitch mix is just decent. There are clearly some things to like and moving from NY to MIL would probably be a plus (fans, stadium, coaching). However I would still want 1 more solid piece. I am not a huge fan of the Yankees farm, there are a couple upside arms that are decent and Dominguez or Jones would help the OF but after there top 8/9 it really drops off for me. 

 

[Lathund]

A deal where Luis Gil is a major part of the return would be very disappointing. Shiny ERA, but ugly peripherals, velo is down, injury prone, already in arbitration. If we're talking yankees major league starters, Will Warren looks worse on the surface but would be far more intriguing to me. 

I also don't generally see why the deal has to include a MLB-ready starter. Brewers have a lot of them, and whoever it is would be more of a #4/#5 type at best. Get the best package possible, and use the money saved to get a veteran FA starter if they feel they need one. Or make a separate trade. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

4 minutes ago, Lathund said:

I also don't generally see why the deal has to include a MLB-ready starter. Brewers have a lot of them, and whoever it is would be more of a #4/#5 type at best. Get the best package possible, and use the money saved to get a veteran FA starter if they feel they need one. Or make a separate trade. 

As usual, I think it all comes down to the player, and whether the Brewers believe they can turn that 4/5 to a 3 or better, as they did with Chad Patrick.

[homer]

I'd prefer Schlittler. 

[SandyTolan]

24 minutes ago, Lathund said:

A deal where Luis Gil is a major part of the return would be very disappointing. Shiny ERA, but ugly peripherals, velo is down, injury prone, already in arbitration. If we're talking yankees major league starters, Will Warren looks worse on the surface but would be far more intriguing to me. 

I also don't generally see why the deal has to include a MLB-ready starter. Brewers have a lot of them, and whoever it is would be more of a #4/#5 type at best. Get the best package possible, and use the money saved to get a veteran FA starter if they feel they need one. Or make a separate trade. 

Totally agree. They have plenty of MLB or MLB-ready starters who are currently not projected for the rotation, including Ashby, Hall, possibly Zerpa, and Logan Henderson. Get an MLB or MLB-ready bat, plus a lower-level (A, A+) starter.

[wiguy94]

16 minutes ago, homer said:

I'd prefer Schlittler. 

I think we all would, but I can’t imagine the Yankees would even trade Schlittler for Freddy straight up.

[dsid74]

Gil probably has more upside than Nelson but has never shown good control.  He reminds me of a RH'ed DL Hall in terms of stuff and control and injuries.  I think he isn't close to being a finished project and may not even be in our top 5 for 2026.  Future value caps out as a #2 or 3, but that is far from guaranteed.  

Nelson has started to figure it out and is currently better than Gil.  He would be more valuable in 2026.  The Brewers may be able to squeeze a bit more out of him than the DBacks, but he caps out as a mid rotation guy.

Lawler is the highest upside guy listed, but lacks a position.  The Brewers would probably try to make him a CF and hope the bat takes off.  There is risk he can't find a defensive home (ala Tyler Black).

The Dodger pitchers "have been discussed" but that could simply mean the Brewers said these are the guys we are interested in and the Dodgers hung up.  

All in all, I would vote for Nelson.  He keeps the ball in the park, is stingy with walks, and would slot into the rotation ahead of guys like Henderson or Gasser.

[Team Canada]

27 minutes ago, wiguy94 said:

I think we all would, but I can’t imagine the Yankees would even trade Schlittler for Freddy straight up.

Yeah, no way that's happening.

[WiscoSportsHub]

In terms of Yankees pitchers & the trade value the Brewers have asked for, the secondary and/or tertiary piece in a trade headlining Luis Gil better be solid (e.g. both Dillon Lewis & Ben Hess) to make the move. I'd much rather try to include Trevor Megill in the deal if it means being able to land Will Warren, who has an extra 2 years of control & could develop an elite sweeper in the Brewers' system.

Even something as simple as Peralta & Megill for Warren, Brendan Beck (#11 Yankees system, 27 y/o who could be a mid-reliever) & Brandon Jones (#15 Yankees system, 24 y/o OF prospect who fits the Brewers mold) nets huge upside while still moderately favoring the Yankees.

[Brock Beauchamp]

1 minute ago, WiscoSportsHub said:

In terms of Yankees pitchers & the trade value the Brewers have asked for, the secondary and/or tertiary piece in a trade headlining Luis Gil better be solid (e.g. both Dillon Lewis & Ben Hess) to make the move. I'd much rather try to include Trevor Megill in the deal if it means being able to land Will Warren, who has an extra 2 years of control & could develop an elite sweeper in the Brewers' system.

Even something as simple as Peralta & Megill for Warren, Brendan Beck (#11 Yankees system, 27 y/o who could be a mid-reliever) & Brandon Jones (#15 Yankees system, 24 y/o OF prospect who fits the Brewers mold) nets huge upside while still moderately favoring the Yankees.

Welcome to Brewer Fanatic!

[Jake McKibbin]

2 minutes ago, WiscoSportsHub said:

In terms of Yankees pitchers & the trade value the Brewers have asked for, the secondary and/or tertiary piece in a trade headlining Luis Gil better be solid (e.g. both Dillon Lewis & Ben Hess) to make the move. I'd much rather try to include Trevor Megill in the deal if it means being able to land Will Warren, who has an extra 2 years of control & could develop an elite sweeper in the Brewers' system.

Even something as simple as Peralta & Megill for Warren, Brendan Beck (#11 Yankees system, 27 y/o who could be a mid-reliever) & Brandon Jones (#15 Yankees system, 24 y/o OF prospect who fits the Brewers mold) nets huge upside while still moderately favoring the Yankees.

What an insightful first post! Welcome!

 

[Ron750]

I don’t want Peralta traded unless we receive an established hitter. Either a decent DH or pesky high average contact hitter. We have plenty of pitching prospects. Why give away our most reliable pitcher for a prospect?

[SeaBass]

1 hour ago, wiguy94 said:

I think we all would, but I can’t imagine the Yankees would even trade Schlittler for Freddy straight up.

I can't imagine the Yankees would even trade Schlittler. Full stop.

[wallus]

I'm annoyed that there is a tinge of 2026 payroll concerns mentioned as to why he will be moved.

Gil could be a part of the trade but I would hope the rest of the return would be more interesting 

[Jake McKibbin]

Emmet Sheehan for Freddy Peralta straight up would be very intriguing to me.

The Brewers won't do it, they do prefer multiple pieces coming back, but the value even then based on Sheehan's 24% K-BB rate last year would probably favour the Brewers

[endaround]

Peralta for Gil is the most quarter for 3 dimes trade imaginable.  But here its more like a quarter for a dime and a nickel this year, a dime next year and a nickel the following year.

[dsid74]

"I don’t want Peralta traded unless we receive an established hitter. Either a decent DH or pesky high average contact hitter. We have plenty of pitching prospects. Why give away our most reliable pitcher for a prospect?"

I agree with your comments about trading Freddy for a prospect.  I would rather see help for 2026 if he is moved.

I don't think a DH or pesky high average guy is what they need.  There aren't enough DH AB's to spread across Yeli, Contreras, Bauer and Vaughn already.  And the weak link of the lineup is lack of power, so while a pesky hitter fits their mold, I think they would prefer to round out the lineup with someone with more OPS.

[long ball]

I won’t pretend to know a lot about most of these players listed, but Sheehan definitely intrigues me the most. Trading with the Dodgers however does not.  
 

I agree with several posters that Gil would be underwhelming for several reasons. Only 2 more years of control than Freddy and shaky peripherals  

 

I know most of the rumors around Freddy have involved the Brewers seeking a rotation replacement for him (both from Trueblood in this post and Rosenthal on his numerous Freddy notes over the offseason), but I can’t help but hope for a bat. We got both an arm and a bat for Burnes and Williams so it’s probably fair to expect the Brewers to get both if they decide to move Freddy, but it just feels like there is a bigger opportunity to fill a hole with an outfielder or an infielder who could at least fake it at SS if needed.  
 

If we could use the cost savings from Freddy to sign a veteran arm as the article suggests, it’s probably less important to me to bring back a major league ready SP for Freddy.  Even a Quintana or a reclamation project like Montgomery could help soak up some regular season innings.

in the end I hope we keep Freddy, but i do acknowledge that the front office has generally earned my trust to build the roster and keep the competitive window open year after year  

 

[Frisbee Slider]

‘Moving toward’ trading someone could mean simply answering the Yankees’ phone calls.

[Turning2]

55 minutes ago, Ron750 said:

I don’t want Peralta traded unless we receive an established hitter. Either a decent DH or pesky high average contact hitter. We have plenty of pitching prospects. Why give away our most reliable pitcher for a prospect?

Agreed. This team seems allergic to pursuing proven big-league bats when they have trade leverage. 

[jay87shot]

If I could pick a reasonable package, I would want Spencer Jones, Dax Kilby, and Clarke Schmidt from the Yankees for Freddy. Jones would be the upside prospect piece that could help the roster this year, Kilby is the high upside prospect, and Schmidt is a top of the rotation potential starter with experience when he comes back from Tommy John (all-star break). Schmidt is a risk but has been very good when healthy and even if the rotation is going good could be moved into a late inning relief role depending on his recovery. We don't need arms at the beginning of the year but getting him in June will likely be a huge boost. I am not a huge Jones fan but he does every thing our organization likes other than strikeout way to much. Kilby played really well in A-ball after being drafted, we don't need more MI prospects but he is the high upside minor leaguer I would want as a throw in since the Yanks don't have a comp pick.

I still think the Yanks make more sense as a place for Megill over Freddy. The Yanks have Cole, Fried, Rodon, Schlitter, Gil, Warren, Schmidt, with minor league options ready but only Bednar and Doval as high upside but shaky back end relievers.

[gregmag]

2 hours ago, Ron750 said:

I don’t want Peralta traded unless we receive an established hitter. Either a decent DH or pesky high average contact hitter. We have plenty of pitching prospects. Why give away our most reliable pitcher for a prospect?

Prospects are players. If we think we can fill Peralta’s role with guys we have, and if the best trade options on offer can help us at the deadline or in a year or two rather than this opening day, then that’s the trade we should make.

[OneangryBadger]

I trust Arnold to get the best deal he can. That being said I’d prefer the Arizona deal of Nelson, Lawler, possibly a lower 30 prospect 15-30 and a comp pick over Gil prospects. If it’s the Yankees and they take Gil to me one of the prospects coming back has to be Kirby because their system is terrible and he is one of the few players that has upside. If they could get Kirby and Jones too I’d take that because you are getting a player in Jones who could help you this season in the field and is different than the bats you already have because he has some pop. If his power translates to the majors I can live with the strike outs because the rest of the lineup is more disciplined