MLB Mock Blockbuster Trade: Milwaukee Brewers Deal Freddy Peralta to New York Mets

The Milwaukee Brewers are within reach of the first-placed Chicago Cubs in the National League Central. But due to the team's market size and previous proactiveness in terms of trading away star pitchers, pundits have mostly refused to rule out the Brewers selling at the MLB trade deadline rather than buying.

If Milwaukee follows the same formula it had with Corbin Burnes and Josh Hader, the team will trade right-hander Freddy Peralta before Opening Day 2026.

"While conventional wisdom suggests Peralta, the best starter on a playoff-caliber team, should remain in place, I think there's reason to include him, if only just in case," wrote CBS Sports' R.J. Anderson on June 30.

"The Brewers, who could have more healthy starters than spots by the time the deadline arrives, have shown in the past that they're willing to operate in a counterculture manner if the right opportunity presents itself. (Remember the Josh Hader trade?)

"Given the expected state of the market, Peralta could be the top available starter, creating the possibility that the Brewers could leverage other clubs to net an impressive return."

A desperate New York Mets club, who trail the Philadelphia Phillies by 1.5 games in the NL East, could be the last thing to tip the Brewers to move on from Peralta.

Let's explore the possibility of the right-hander joining the Mets.

Milwaukee Brewers-New York Mets Mock Trade

Milwaukee Brewers receive Mets No. 9 prospect and outfielder Drew Gilbert, No. 14 Mets prospect and right-hander Blade Tidwell and No. 24 Mets prospect and No. 30 prospect and infielder Colin Houck.

New York Mets receive right-hander Freddy Peralta.

I mocked Tidwell to the Boston Red Sox in a trade for left-handed reliever Aroldis Chapman last week. Obviously, the Mets can't send Tidwell to both Boston and Milwaukee.

But the Mets would probably rather have Peralta and could offer another pitching prospect to the Red Sox for Chapman.

Three prospects for Peralta sounds expensive, but with Milwaukee sitting at 50-40 entering July 7, it could take a king's ransom to pry him from the Brewers this month. That will especially be true if other teams are trying to land Peralta.

Anderson named the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres potential suitors as well.

This season, Peralta leads the NL with 9 wins. He also has a 2.91 ERA and 1.091 WHIP with 104 strikeouts in 99 innings.

With the Mets, Peralta would pitch his home games in a more pitcher-friendly place. The right-hander is 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA and incredible 0.417 WHIP in 12 innings at Citi Field during his career.

Those numbers would bode very well for fantasy managers if Peralta headed to the Mets.

Why a Peralta Trade to the Mets Is Unlikely

The weeks prior to the MLB trade deadline is one of the silliest parts of the baseball calendar. Lots of rumors reach the MLB hot stove that don't actually happen.

In all likelihood, Peralta is going to stay in Milwaukee. On July 2, ESPN's David Schoenfield argued why the Brewers shouldn't entertain Peralta offers.

"There has been speculation that the Brewers might be willing to trade Freddy Peralta, similar to when they traded Josh Hader in 2022 when they were in the playoff race and Hader had a year-plus left of team control," Schoenfield wrote. "That move backfired when the Brewers missed the playoffs, the only year they didn't make it between 2018 and 2024.

"Trading Peralta might be an ever bigger on-field and PR disaster -- and we can't advocate trading your best pitcher."

Instead of trading Peralta, Schoenfield projected the Brewers to acquire starting pitcher Shelby Miller.

While the Brewers are one of baseball's most proactive organizations in terms of trading star pitchers, the organization has yet to win the World Series. They haven't even won an NL pennant, and they haven't been to the NL Championship Series since 2018 despite five playoff appearances since then.

One could argue Milwaukee owes its fans to not trade Peralta in the middle of another opportunity for the club to do something the organization hasn't done in its first 57 seasons.