2 overlooked aspects of the Brewers and Mets' Freddy Peralta blockbuster

After the Milwaukee Brewers traded Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers to the New York Mets in exchange for top prospects Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat on Wednesday night, Brewers fans are feeling mixed emotions. On one hand, this strategy of replenishing their roster with talented MLB-ready talent has proven to be incredibly successful in the recent past. However, watching an All-Star like Peralta, who was not only a leader on the field but also in the clubhouse, depart for a new team is no easy task.

The moment was made even more difficult when the Brewers' excellent social media team posted the following tear-jerking recap of Freddy's time in Milwaukee.

Yeah, that video doesn't make things any easier. For the last eight seasons, beginning with an unbelievable MLB debut against the Colorado Rockies on Mother's Day in 2018, Peralta and his infectious smile have been a key part of the Brewers' success. In his eight years in a Brewers uniform, the team won five division titles, qualified for the postseason seven times, and advanced to the NLCS twice. His incredible tenure in Milwaukee will not soon be forgotten.

However, there are reasons to be encouraged about the trade as well. As previously mentioned, this strategy has proven successful for Matt Arnold and the Brewers' front office, and there's no reason to believe that trend will stop now. The two prospects Milwaukee received, Williams and Sproat, have incredibly high upsides and are likely to have an impact on the Brewers' roster this season.

On top of the obvious encouragement that the two new additions to Milwaukee's roster bring, there are a couple of overlooked aspects of this trade that should leave Brewers fans excited about what the future holds for their ballclub.

2 overlooked aspects of the Brewers and Mets' Freddy Peralta blockbuster

1. Billy Eppler, the Mets' GM from 2021-2023, now serves as Brewers' special advisor to scouting and baseball operations

An imperative part of the Brewers' strategy of turning their soon-to-be-departing stars into controllable talent is that they find the right controllable talent. The trade itself, while it is a prudent move for a small-market club like the Brewers, doesn't guarantee success; the Brewers still have to do their due diligence and make sure the prospects they are acquiring will be productive big leaguers who fit their style of play.

Luckily, when it comes to trading with the Mets, the Brewers had a secret weapon in their ranks. After serving as the Mets' general manager for three seasons, and subsequently being suspended from MLB for a year after violating the league's injured list rules with his roster, Billy Eppler joined the Brewers' front office as a special advisor to scouting and baseball operations last March. During his time at the top of the Mets' front office, Eppler's team drafted Jett Williams in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft, and twice drafted Brandon Sproat -- once in 2022 and again in 2023 after the right-hander decided to return to college for one more season.

Typically, the general manager doesn't have a huge role in the MLB Draft, but Eppler certainly factored into those decisions to some extent during his time in the Mets' front office. As a result, he has a good understanding of each of their values, which Arnold and company no doubt used to their advantage when negotiating with David Stearns and New York's front office. In other words, Brewers fans should be encouraged that the players they acquired were approved by someone who has an in-depth understanding of their profiles. Theoretically, the information asymmetry that is often present in MLB trades was evaporated by Eppler's presence in Milwaukee's front office, which should leave Brewers fans excited about the return they ultimately received.

2. The Peralta trade opened up a 40-man roster spot for the Brewers, leaving the door open for an significant addition before Spring Training

While Sproat was already on the Mets' 40-man roster after making his MLB debut last September, Williams, who has yet to debut, was not. This means that when the Brewers gave up two players on their 40-man roster, Peralta and Myers, in the trade, they freed up a roster spot that will surely be filled over the next few weeks before Spring Training commences.

Williams is likely to debut sometime during the 2026 season and will therefore require a spot on the 40-man, but until that happens, the Brewers can add a player to their roster without having to trade or designate a player for assignment.

There are a few avenues the Brewers could take with their extra roster spot. They could add a right-handed reliever to balance out the righties and lefties in their projected 2026 bullpen. Another alternative would be to add some veteran insurance to their rotation; Milwaukee was rumored to be interested in a reunion with Jordan Montgomery earlier this offseason, and with a free roster spot and money to spend, that rumor could come to fruition. Or the Brewers could find an upgrade to their position player group. Depending on how they view Williams' role in 2026, an upgrade to their outfield group or putting some pressure on the left side of their infield could make sense for the Brewers before Spring Training arrives.