Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Freddy Peralta
Could the Boston Red Sox benefit from a down season for the Milwaukee Brewers?
In recent years, Milwaukee has become known as a team that consistently defies expectations. Despite losing their manager and trading away their top pitcher prior to the 2024 season, the Brewers went on to win the National League Central title for the second consecutive season and the fourth time in six years, further boggling minds around the league over how one of the smallest markets in baseball can continue to win without top-end talent on its roster.
However, the Brewers stumbled out of the gates in 2025, losing their first four games by a combined score of 47-15. Although the team rebounded to win its next four straight and takes a 5-5 record into Tuesday’s game at Colorado, the early struggles, along with a bevy of injuries to its pitching staff, could force Milwaukee to take a realistic view at its likelihood for success this season.
As such, Bleacher Report recently listed Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta as a surprise inclusion among the top potential MLB trade chips for 2025.
“You never want to overreact to the first 2.5 percent of the season,” Kerry Miller wrote. “However, after the Brewers were outscored 47-15 through their first four games, we have to at least consider the possibility that they’re going to be just plain not very good. (It’s not like expectations were through the roof in the preseason, listed at +125 to make the playoffs just before Opening Day.)
“And should the Brew Crew fall hopelessly out of contention, trading away Peralta could be one heck of a way for them to expedite a rebuild that they have somehow been postponing for a few years now.”
Milwaukee’s Struggles Could Precipitate Trade of Ace Pitcher Freddy Peralta
GettyMilwaukee Brewers pitcher Freddy Peralta is one of only three pitchers, along with Zach Wheeler and Dylan Cease, to record at least 200 strikeouts in each of the past two seasons.
If Peralta were to become available, Colin Keane of Sports Illustrated suggests that Boston has the pieces – not to mention the need for starting pitching – to make a significant offer.
While Boston boasts some of the top prospects in baseball, including Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer, their pathway to the Major Leagues is currently blocked by veteran players on the Red Sox roster. One such player is Ceddanne Rafaela, formerly a top-5 prospect for Boston at shortstop who opened the 2025 season as the team’s starting center fielder.
Keane opines that a package topped off by Rafaela and one of Boston’s Major League-ready starters such as Richard Pitts or Tanner Houck could be enough to acquire one of only three pitchers, along with Zack Wheeler and Dylan Cease, who has recorded at least 200 strikeouts in each of the past two seasons.
Availability of Freddy Peralta Would Provide Boston’s Front Office With ‘Fascinating Questions’
Adding Peralta to a pitching staff that includes Garret Crochet and Walker Buehler is enticing enough to make any front office stand up and take notice. However, Keane does acknowledge that trading for Peralta, who is currently signed to “a preposterously low price point” of $8M this season with an $8M club option for 2026, will likely require Boston’s Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow to make some difficult decisions.
“Tons of fascinating questions could arise for Breslow if Peralta hits the market at any point,” Keane wrote.
