Freddy Peralta's extension preference further vindicates Brewers after Mets trade

The departure of Freddy Peralta was not an easy one for Milwaukee Brewers fans this offseason. The fan favorite Peralta was the ace of Milwaukee's starting staff in each of the past two seasons, and a key part of the Brewers' stretch of seven playoff appearances in the last eight years.

However, while the trade of Peralta was hard to stomach, Brewers fans were at least prepared for it. Trading their soon-to-be departing stars ahead of their final season under team control has become a key roster construction strategy for Milwaukee's front office during this period of sustained success. The strategy is justified by the fact that Milwaukee can't afford to sign players like Peralta, Corbin Burnes, or Devin Williams to long-term contract extensions once they hit free agency the following offseason.

Without the same financial resources as the big-market players who can restock their rosters in free agency, the Brewers use their player capital to acquire talented prospects on the cusp of their major league debuts. These players, who earn league minimum salaries for the first three years of their career and cost-controlled arbitration salaries for the next three, represent some of the highest surplus value in the league -- something the Brewers need to maximize if they want to continue competing in a league that is stacked against them.

However, it's more than fair to wonder what an extension of one of these talented pitchers would have looked like. After all, the Brewers have extended players like Christian Yelich, Jackson Chourio, and several years ago, Yovani Gallardo, which seemingly suggests that Milwaukee is willing to extend players when it makes sense financially for them. Burnes' six-year, $210 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks last season certainly isn't one that would have made sense for the Brewers, and Williams' three-year, $51 million pact with the Mets this offseason is very rich for a relief pitcher.

That said, what's even scarier than the money involved is the length of contract extensions that these All-Stars would rightfully demand. A recent report from Mets camp suggests that even if the Brewers had tried to extend Peralta, they would have had a tough time doing so because of the length of the contract that the ace is demanding.

Freddy Peralta's desire for long-term contract extension from Mets further justifies Brewers decision to trade him

Even the small-market Brewers can afford short-term splurges; Milwaukee gave a sizable contract to Rhys Hoskins two offseasons ago, and agreed to the $22.025 million qualifying offer with Brandon Woodruff back in November. However, what those two deals have in common is that they are short-term contracts.

What the Brewers can't afford is a number of long-term deals that eat up a large portion of the payroll for many years to come. These contracts hold the risk of hamstringing the Brewers' spending abilities for a long time, and could look rather ugly as the player ages through the end of the deal.

A recent report from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic detailed that Peralta would prefer a longer-term deal with a lower average annual salary to a short-term, high-dollar contract. It's certainly possible that Peralta's preferences would have changed slightly if he were dealing with the Brewers, with whom he had a great relationship, but the 30-year-old right-hander should be seeking out a long-term deal, one that capitalizes on the strong seasons he's had in recent years.

Therefore, the update that Peralta is searching for a long-term contract extension further justifies the Brewers' decision to trade him this offseason. If there was a chance of Peralta accepting a two- or three-year deal with Milwaukee, then it might have made more sense for the Brewers to hang on to him. However, there was practically no chance of that happening, which further rationalizes the Brewers' decision to turn him into Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams this offseason.