Instant Impact if Mets, Brewers Finalize Rumored Freddy Peralta Trade

Josh Hader. Corbin Burnes. Devin Williams. Freddy Peralta.

The Milwaukee Brewers have established a firm precedent at this point: If you're entering the final year of your contract, and have high trade value, you're getting shipped out of town. Peralta, rumored as a trade piece all offseason, appears to be approaching the final seconds of his time in Milwaukee.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Brewers and New York Mets were deep in talks about a trade on Wednesday night that would send Peralta to Queens.

A deal has not been finalized at the time of this posting, but according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, that may come as soon as the end of Wednesday night. Per Pat Ragazzo of Mets on SI, top utility prospect Jett Williams would be one of the pieces going to Milwaukee in the deal.

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Brewers' commitment to sustainability comes at a cost

Sep 18, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) pitches in the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

All of the following is based on the assumption that the deal with the Mets gets finalized, so if it somehow falls apart, we can laugh that we got worked up over nothing. But it sure sounds as though things are trending that way, so here goes:

The Brewers were set to pay Peralta $8 million this year, a true steal for the level of talent he brings to the table. But they were certain they wouldn't be willing or able (with the Brewers, there's not necessarily a difference) to pay whatever he's going to get on the open market next winter.

Two or three years from now, the Brewers might well be better than they would have been if they had kept Peralta and lost him to free agency for nothing more than a compensation pick. However, it's hard to discount the psychological impact of a team that just won the most games in Major League Baseball trading its ace.

What must Jackson Chourio be feeling on Wednesday night? Or Christian Yelich? Those two got some of the most significant contracts in franchise history, but did they know when they signed them that their team would trade away some of their most important co-stars?

If the deal is finalized, Brewers fans will rightfully feel anger. Anger about a 97-win team deciding the following season wasn't worth going all-in on a championship. Anger that only the Los Angeles Dodgers try to win at all costs, when that should be every professional sports team's goal.

And most of all, anger that a pitcher who loves Milwaukee and should have spent his entire career there was forced to leave a year early because his club didn't want to change its ways and pay him what he was worth.

More MLB: Where Mets, Brewers Stand After Latest Freddy Peralta Update