Brewers May Decide To Hold All-Star Starter Through Trade Deadline

The Milwaukee Brewers have surged back in the National League Central race after going 8-2 in their last 10, and are in a position to add instead of subtract at the trade deadline. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reasoned through their choices for starting pitcher Freddy Peralta.

“Peralta, on track for potentially his best season, is signed for a below-market $8 million salary both this season and next,” wrote Rosenthal. “Trading him at the deadline – after an offseason in which the Brewers parted with Hader’s successor, Devin Williams, and lost shortstop Willy Adames to free agency – likely would not be received well, both inside and outside the clubhouse.”

Rosenthal compared a potential trade of Freddy Peralta to the trade of closer Josh Hader in 2022, when the team was in the hunt and traded their All-Star closer and missed the playoffs. Peralta has a 2.90 ERA entering Saturday and has had his name floated around in the early portion of the season with the Brewers barely treading water.

The script has been flipped, and they are now in the heat of a three-team race in the National League Central with the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals. Peralta’s outlook has certainly changed in the past couple of weeks as a result of the Brewers’ hot streak.

If the Brewers hold onto Peralta, they could put together a formidable trio in the playoffs with left-hander José Quintana and rookie phenom Jacob Misiorowski for the playoffs. If they trade Peralta, they severely hinder their chances of making October at all.

Peralta’s value might not be higher than it is now with a club option for next season before turning loose as a free agent in 2027. But the Brewers have seen a change in fate, lining themselves up to compete for the playoffs. A couple of bad weeks could flip the script, and Peralta may be on the market after all.

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