May 23, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Where Mets, Brewers Stand After Latest Freddy Peralta Update

Originally posted on Milwaukee Brewers on SI
By Jackson Roberts | Last updated Jan 21, 2026 12:38 PM ET

Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta can't escape the trade buzz at the moment, and it seems to be due to the club's earnest interest in moving him.

Peralta, the fifth-place Cy Young Award finisher this past season, is set to hit free agency in November. He's making a ridiculously cheap $8 million salary, and the Brewers may well trade him simply because they know they won't be willing to match whatever lucrative offers he's bound to get when he hits the open market.

The New York Mets are an obvious fit for Peralta, because their rotation was brutal late in the season, and because they've got the deep pockets to be able to afford virtually any contract the righty might command. And according to a Wednesday report, the two sides appear to be in contact.

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Brewers reportedly offer Peralta to Mets for two-player package

Michael Marino, an independent national baseball reporter, reported Wednesday that the Brewers had recently made a counteroffer of sorts, after the Mets seemingly shut down the idea of trading top pitching prospect Jonah Tong to Milwaukee.

"Sources: Jonah Tong’s name briefly came up in talks with the Brewers about Freddy Peralta before the Mets quickly ended that discussion," wrote Marino. "The Brewers have since submitted an offer, Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams for Freddy. The Mets have been unwilling to pay that price."

Williams is the Mets' No. 3 prospect in MLB Pipeline's most recent system rankings, with Sproat coming in at No. 5. Because New York has rookies Tong and Nolan McLean ready to roll, it seems reasonable to think that they'd be willing to move Sproat for an ace-level talent.

That likely means that if Marino's report is dead-on, the Mets are feeling dug in on Williams, who projects to be either the future center fielder or second baseman in Queens. The 5-foot-7 speedster is exactly the type of talent who tends to thrive in Milwaukee, and even if Brewers fans were understandably upset about trading Peralta, they'd have to be excited about Williams.

Assuming Marino's sources accurately portrayed the situation as it stands, it seems as if discussions will at least continue a while longer, but we'll just have to wait and see if both sides can reach a point of comfort.

This article first appeared on Milwaukee Brewers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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