Brewers Predicted To Cut Ties With 8-Year Veteran All-Star By End Of July

Over the next month, the possibilities are seemingly endless for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Entering play on Thursday, the Brewers are only half a game out of a playoff spot. Between now and the Jul. 31 trade deadline, we could realistically see the Brewers get back into the division title race, fall back in the Wild Card picture, or stay right about where they are and be faced with a tough call.

The trade market is great for sellers these days, and the Brewers have a piece to sell that would extract a ransom of prospects in starting pitcher Freddy Peralta. Losing their ace would deal a huge blow to the Brewers' playoff chances, but it might provide them the most future value from a baseball operations perspective.

On Thursday, CBS Sports' R.J. Anderson registered a prediction that Peralta would be the biggest name traded during the remainder of the season.

"Would the Brewers actually trade Peralta? Beats me. But I think they've shown time and time again in the past they're willing to be creative and bold. He has one year remaining on his contract, suggesting he's likely to get moved at some point over the next 12 months," Anderson wrote.

"Add in how the Brewers might feel empowered by having more potential starters than slots, and how the market could lack another true standout starter, resulting in teams either ponying up or perhaps trading big-league-ready talent to fill a need, and I think there's a certain sense to it."

The 29-year-old Peralta is carrying the Brewers' rotation in terms of workload. He and Chad Patrick are the only hurlers with over 70 innings pitched, and Peralta not only leads the team with 83, but he's got a sparkling 2.60 ERA in those innings.

That kind of production, combined with Peralta's $8 million salary both this year and next, would extract a hefty price. It could net the Brewers a prospect package that would greatly improve their roster outlook beginning around 2027.

The question, of course, is whether they want to dash their playoff hopes and potentially anger the clubhouse to get that package.