Padres Exploring Trade for National League Ace

The San Diego Padres are looking to bolster their starting pitching depth, with Brewers ace Freddy Peralta emerging as a primary target. Peralta took the leap from star to true franchise player in 2025, posting the best numbers of his career.

He finished the season 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA and a 3.64 FIP, leading the Brewers to a National League Central pennant and an NLCS appearance.

After losing Dylan Cease to Toronto in free agency, general manager A.J. Preller is searching for a more affordable, reliable arm to anchor the top of the rotation.

Typically, a pitcher coming off his best season on a contending team - while owed just $8 million - wouldn’t be expected to hit the trade market. But that’s often how Milwaukee operates.

Peralta’s contract expires after the 2026 season, and the Brewers lack the financial capacity to offer the $150-plus million extension he’s expected to command. Rather than risk losing him for nothing, Milwaukee appears open to dealing him before he reaches free agency.

That’s where Preller and the Padres come in. With spring training only weeks away, San Diego’s projected rotation features Randy Vásquez and J.P. Sears in the No. 4 and No. 5 spots. While both are quality starters with the potential to overperform, their projected ERAs - 4.87 for Vásquez and 4.61 for Sears (RotoChamp) - aren’t ideal for a team hoping to contend with stacked lineups like the Dodgers and Mets.

Adding a proven star like Peralta would ease the pressure on both pitchers and allow the better of the two to slide into the final rotation spot, effectively maximizing the rotation's depth.

The asking price for Peralta figures to be steep, even with just one year of team control remaining. His low salary makes him an appealing way for contenders to significantly upgrade their pitching staff without breaking the bank.

What’s particularly notable about a potential deal with the Brewers is that it wouldn’t involve 2025 ace Nick Pivetta. They have historically avoided taking on salary, and he is still owed more than $50 million over the next three seasons.

While that means the Padres would likely need to further deplete their farm system to get a deal done, the idea of a rotation headlined by Pivetta and Peralta is mouthwatering. Both pitchers posted sub-3.00 ERAs in 2025 and would instantly form one of the best one-two punches in baseball.

Of course, San Diego isn’t the only team chasing an affordable ace. Nearly every contender - from the Yankees to the Dodgers to the Red Sox - is expected to pursue Peralta. That could drive the price beyond Preller’s comfort zone, but he’s shown a willingness to overpay for players that greatly improve the major league roster.

Freddy Peralta Trade — Oct 14, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) throws pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning during game two of the NLCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at American Family Field. | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

If negotiations begin to price the Padres out, the front office still has one goal: don’t let the Dodgers get him. Not to make everything about our rivals up north but let’s be honest, that would destroy the division.

The Dodgers have already enjoyed the best offseason in baseball, and allowing them to land another frontline starter would be detrimental for a Padres team set to face them 19 times in 2026. If Peralta ends up in New York or Boston, so be it. At least he’d be out of the National League which could be beneficial come postseason time.

With teams scrambling to make up for missed free-agents, the trade market is heating up, and Peralta appears poised to be the next major transaction of the winter. The only question is whether the Padres can muster up the assets to get a deal done.