Brewers' Former Rule 5 Pick Ditches Milwaukee For Mets Deal

Not every offseason pickup works out as intended

Oct 9, 2024; New York, New York, USA; A view of the big apple in center field before game four of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs between the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Major League Baseball offseason is the time for unproven minor-leaguers to get shots with new organizations, and last offseason, the Milwaukee Brewers may have had high hopes for Zach Peek

On Dec. 11 of last year, the Brewers purchased Peek's contract from the Baltimore Orioles in the minor-league phase of the Rule 5 Draft. Peek was 26 at the time, and the Brewers had him split the season between High-A and Double-A.

After just one year in the organization, however, Peek exercised his right to free agency. And whether the Brewers wanted him back or not (there's no real way to know), he wound up choosing a new National League organization.

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Zach Peek heads to Mets on minor-league deal

According to the transactions log on his official roster page, Peek signed a minor-league contract with the New York Mets on Tuesday, He was assigned to Double-A Binghamton, and considering he's yet to make an appearance at Triple-A in his career, it seems highly improbable that he'll have a shot at the majors during spring training.

It's not as though Peek's time as a Brewers farmhand was a failure at all; he pitched to a 3.63 ERA in 43 total appearances and struck out 75 batters in 69 1/3 innings. He's been in the minors for so long, though, that he had the right to elect free agency if he didn't sense that his best opportunity to make it to the majors was with his current organization.

Sometimes, making it to the majors is about endurance. That seems to be the case for Peek, who was a sixth-round pick for the Los Angeles Angels in 2019 and likely has many peers from his draft class who have sought other career opportunities after similar minor-league experiences.

While it's especially unlikely that Peek's shot at the majors will come with the Brewers now that he's departed, the Milwaukee organization will be part of an interesting story if that big-league dream ever comes true.

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