MLB insider expects Brewers to prioritize this position in potential Freddy Peralta trade

Freddy Peralta remains one of the most attractive starting pitchers on the market, and that's only become more true following the St. Louis Cardinals' trade of Sonny Gray.

If the Milwaukee Brewers' division rival was able to pull top pitching prospect for one year of the 36-year-old starter (and $20 million), surely the Crew could receive a haul for one year of their playoff-tested ace, right?

In fact, the Red Sox may still be the perfect suitor for Peralta with their loaded farm system and remaining need for another frontline starting pitcher. But even if they bow out of his market, other teams will surely trip over themselves to try to convince the Brewers to part with the 29-year-old righty.

As such, Jim Bowden of The Athletic put together a myriad of trade packages to pry Peralta out of Milwaukee. And though some of the projected returns are questionable, there's one piece that's simply become immutable.

Brewers must acquire controllable starting pitching if they trade Freddy Peralta

The following are Bowden's proposed trades for Peralta:

1. Peralta for RHP JR Ritchie and SS Alex Lodise (Atlanta Braves)
2. Peralta for LHP Payton Tolle and RHP Anthony Eyanson (Boston Red Sox)
3. Peralta for RHP Brandon Sproat and INF/OF Luisangel Acuña (New York Mets)
4. Peralta for RHP Will Warren and SS Jose Caballero (New York Yankees)
5. Peralta for RHP Landen Roupp and 2B/SS Jhonny Level (San Francisco Giants)

You can argue whether or not any of those deals represent fair value for Peralta (I think the proposed deal with the Mets is by far the best), but it's clear Bowden has honed in on the same thing the Brewers need to in trade talks: young pitching.

All of Ritchie, Tolle, Sproat, Warren, and Roupp are controllable through at least the end of the decade and have either made their respective MLB debuts or are knocking on the door of them. Tolle, with a wicked fastball, is arguably the most talented of the bunch in a raw sense, though Sproat is also a very projectable young arm.

Likewise, the Brewers could default to either Warren or Roupp as pitchers who have already seen success at the big-league level, considering their window of contention exists in the here and now.

Regardless of which exact package the Brewers prefer, it's clear that trading Peralta for a long-term replacement in the rotation is the right play, if Matt Arnold and company do elect to move their ace this offseason. Milwaukee pulled off the same gambit when they dealt Corbin Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles a few years ago, acquiring DL Hall along with top prospect Joey Ortiz for one year of their ace.

Though Hall has yet to fully live up to the hype, the template is clear. If Peralta is traded this offseason, the Brewers must prioritize bringing in a cheap yet equally talented alternative.