Going Oppo: This Offseason, Bring Back Freddy Peralta

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In the 2025-2026 offseason, the Brewers traded Freddy Peralta, acquiring pitcher Brandon Sproat and utility player Jett Williams in return. In the 2026 season, the deal has remained even – Sproat has struggled some with Milwaukee, while Williams is missing time with injury at Triple-A Nashville, and Peralta struggled in New York before a late-season trade to the Tampa Bay Rays.

This is a two-part article: read the counterpoint here.

Peralta is slated to be a free agent this offseason, and due to being traded, the Rays can’t make a qualifying offer. Should the Brewers pursue a reunion with Peralta? It might be the under-the-radar move of the offseason.

For starters, Peralta is a known quantity for the Brewers in an area that the team has considered important: How he fits in the clubhouse. There haven’t been any known complaints, and the Brewers and Peralta were on friendly terms when he was dealt.

In fact, Peralta was warmly welcomed by Brewers fans and players when the Mets came to Milwaukee for a three-game series– at least before he was pushed into starting the first game of a series. Granted, when the game started, they hung seven runs on Freddy, but that was business – it was nothing personal.

Peralta would also fill a major need for the Brewers in 2027 – the need for a reliable inning eater behind Jacob Misiorowski, Kyle Harrison, and Logan Henderson. At his best, Peralta was a co-ace for the Brewers from 2021-2025. If the Brewers pitching lab can bring him back to that level, Milwaukee goes into 2027 with arguably the best rotation in MLB, which is not a bad thing for October baseball.

But even at a slightly lower level, a team that will be wanting to pick up innings to manage the workload for Misiorowski, Harrison, and Henderson, as well as Quinn Priester, who’s recovering from thoracic outlet surgery. In addition, Peralta could slide Brandon Sproat and Robert Gasser to the bullpen, giving the Brewers a couple of options that could soak up more innings while perhaps thriving as high-endurance relievers alongside Shane Drohan, DL Hall, and Chad Patrick.

If there is a hiccup, it might be price, but the reunion may actually come a fair bit cheaper than one might think. First, Freddy will be coming off a bit of a down year – and an extended “prove it” deal with Milwaukee could be just what he needs to reset his value. The Brewers could offer $15 million in 2027, and potentially add an enticement in the form of a player option for 2028.

In one sense, this could help Milwaukee meet a potential salary floor that has been discussed in the labor negotiations. You’re bringing in one of the more known commodities on the free agent market, one where the relationship has been very good.

Milwaukee could benefit, too, getting a second bite at the apple to trade Peralta for yet more of a return after the 2027 season. It’s almost too good to be true, only this could actually happen with very little downside for the Brewers.

Fastball Freddy as Milwaukee’s fourth starter in 2027. Who wouldn’t like that sort of reunion?