3 players Brewers must demand in any painful Freddy Peralta trade

Freddy Peralta is expected to be a popular name in trade rumors this offseason, with just one year remaining on his contract, an $8.0 million club option that the Milwaukee Brewers are surely going to pick up before he becomes a free agent for the first time in his career.

Moving Peralta isn’t a certainty, and GM Matt Arnold has said as much. Under Arnold’s leadership, the Brewers dealt Corbin Burnes and Devin Williams before they reached free agency, but chose to keep Willy Adames, allowing him to test the market and instead collecting a compensation MLB Draft pick in return.

It will be interesting to see which direction the Brewers take this offseason, as a contract extension for Peralta seems unlikely. If they do decide to move him, the framework from the Burnes and Williams trades offers a clue to what a deal might look like. Milwaukee would likely seek two major league ready players in return, potentially one pitcher and one position player, as those packages brought back talents like DL Hall, Joey Ortiz, Nestor Cortes, and Caleb Durbin.

3 players Milwaukee Brewers must demand in any painful Freddy Peralta trade

There will be no shortage of teams interested in Peralta this offseason, but this article will focus on three potential fits: the Houston Astros, New York Mets, and Detroit Tigers. We also will select one player from these organizations who the Brewers should demand in a trade package, but acknowledge that any Peralta trade would likely bring in more than just one player.

Houston will likely be searching for a starter to replace Framber Valdez as he heads into free agency. In New York, the Mets’ rotation collapsed this past season, and David Stearns’ familiarity with Peralta makes them a natural match. As for Detroit, the Tigers may explore trading pitcher Tarik Skubal, so adding someone like Peralta would help keep them in playoff contention or create a daunting two-headed monster at the top of their rotation for 2026.

Houston Astros: OF Zach Cole

A September addition to the Astros 40-man roster, left-handed swinging and right-handed throwing Zach Cole could provide the offensive production Milwaukee expected from Garrett Mitchell, who has battled injuries throughout his major league tenure. The 25-year-old Cole played just 15 games in the big leagues this season, meaning he has all three minor league options and six years of control remaining. He can play all three outfield positions, he gets on base, and he has pop in his bat. A 35% strikeout rate is alarming, but across Triple-A this year he slashed .279/.377/.539 with 19 home runs and 18 stolen bases. In his brief introduction to the big leagues, Cole slugged four homers in 47 at-bats.

New York Mets: UTIL Jett Williams

A first-round pick by New York in 2022 and currently their third-ranked prospect, Jett Williams is on the cusp of making his MLB debut, but with Skubal and Peralta trade rumors swirling, it is possible that may occur with a different organization. The 5'7" righty played center field, shortstop, and second base this year while having a .261/.363/.465 slash line with 17 home runs and 34 stolen bases. He has the potential to be an impact player immediately, regardless of position, and with the Brewers' emphasis on positional versatility, it might be the perfect fit.

Detroit Tigers: 2B/3B Hao-Yu Lee

Originally a Philadelphia Phillie that came over to Detroit during the 2023 Michael Lorenzen trade, Hao-Yu Lee is the Tigers’ sixth-ranked prospect. He is an aggressive swinger early in at-bats, but still works counts well and doesn’t strike out much. His first full season numbers in Triple-A were not super impressive, a .243/.342/.406 with 14 home runs and 22 stolen bases, but the skills and tools are there for him to succeed at the next level.

In the end, if the Brewers do decide to make the difficult decision to trade Peralta, targeting players with significant power potential should be a top priority. The three players highlighted here each bring more power upside than the returns from Milwaukee’s previous major trades.

While moving Peralta would undoubtedly sting, landing impact bats who can change games with one swing could set the Brewers up for long-term success, and help balance a roster that’s long relied on pitching, contact, speed, and defense to stay competitive.