Insider Fuels Brewers Fans' Anger Over Freddy Peralta-Mets Trade

The Milwaukee Brewers may have told fans in November that a Freddy Peralta trade wasn't "at the front of mind," but the groundwork was laid quickly (if not over the past four years).

On Wednesday night, the Brewers traded Peralta to the New York Mets, alongside fellow righty Tobias Myers, for top prospects Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat. Many will argue the Brewers did well with their haul for one year of control over Peralta, but it's become endlessly frustrating to keep supporting this team and the way it does business.

Especially when, according to insider Bob Nightengale of USA Today, it was the Brewers who took an active role in making sure they didn't have to worry about keeping Peralta around.

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Brewers laid groundwork for Peralta deal

Oct 4, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) reacts after striking out Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (not pictured) during the fifth inning of game one of the NLDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

According to Nightengale, prior to the trade that went down on Wednesday, the Brewers were shopping Peralta around, making sure the return they got rose to a level they were comfortable with before pulling the trigger.

"The Brewers, who let teams know all winter that Peralta was available, but only at a steep price, finally got a team to meet their demand when the Mets sent prized pitching prospect Brandon Sproat and infield prospect Jett Williams to Milwaukee. The Mets also receive pitcher Tobias Myers," Nightengale wrote.

"The Brewers, who have previously traded away pitchers like Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes and relievers Josh Hader and Devin Williams before they hit free agency, now take another immediate hit, although it could be quite beneficial for the future."

There won't be many Brewers fans surprised by that news bulletin, but there will be justifiable anger. Anger that a team that won 97 games a year ago just traded away a consensus top 10 starter in the sport, and its own unquestioned ace, because it didn't want to risk losing him for nothing down the road.

Maybe it's the fear of trying to compete with the Los Angeles Dodgers and their $2 billion roster. Or maybe the Brewers think they'll stand a better chance after next winter's collective bargaining negotiations, at which point the playing field might theoretically be more even for small and medium-market teams.

But even if the Brewers' roster is more sustainable with Williams and Sproat moving forward, it's a brutal message for both the fans and the clubhouse that sending Peralta to a National League rival was the "best" move to make.

More MLB: What Brewers Can Expect From Two Mets Prospects in Freddy Peralta Blockbuster