Brewers Surprisingly Listed Among 6 Framber Valdez Favorites

The Milwaukee Brewers' starting rotation has taken a hit already this offseason as the organization traded Freddy Peralta to the New York Mets in a blockbuster swap.

Milwaukee dealt Peralta and Tobias Myers to the Mets in exchange for Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat. On the bright side, the Brewers still have Brandon Woodruff, who still looked like a star in 2025 coming off his shoulder injury. Beyond Woodruff, the Brewers have Jacob Misiorowski, Quinn Priester, Chad Patrick and Logan Henderson, among others as rotation options.

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There's a lot of talent in Milwaukee, but the Brewers also dealt with a handful of pitching injuries in 2026, so it's easy to be a bit hesitant. Especially after the club traded away the guy who was their most dependable hurler throughout the 2025 season. As injuries piled up, Peralta was the only guy guaranteed to go out there every rotation and give Milwaukee a chance to win.

The Brewers lost an ace

Sep 14, 2025; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez (59) pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Arguably, they could use another veteran hurler with so many young guys around. USA Today's Bob Nightengale made a surprising, but interesting suggestion: Framber Valdez.

"Milwaukee Brewers," Nightengale wrote. "We get it. If you can’t afford to keep Freddy Peralta, why turn around and spend money for Valdez? Yet, the Peralta trade was simply acknowledging they couldn’t keep him a year from now. Considering the Brewers have spent only $1.25 million in free agency this winter, and the fans are loudly grumbling about losing Peralta. Why not get them feeling as if you’re giving away free beer and cheese curds at all home games?

"The Brewers privately say they still are interested in signing a free-agent pitcher, they could shoot for the sun and leave the Cubs cursing under their breath."

Nightengale listed the six "favorites" to land the All-Star lefty and the Brewers were on the list. Valdez has a career 3.36 ERA in eight big league seasons. His market hasn't budged seemingly at all. If he is forced to settle for a one-year deal, that's the only way the club should strike. That's not to say the Brewers wouldn't be better with him. They of course would. But it's unrealistic to think the club would go for anything else right now.

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