The Brewers need to have a plan B before they do this.
The Milwaukee Brewers have some important questions to answer this offseason after they were swept in the National League Championship Series by the back-to-back World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
The main question is centered around the status of their ace, Freddy Peralta. Matt Arnold initially said that trading Peralta was not at the front of his mind, but seemed to change his stance on Tuesday at the GM meetings.
Trading Peralta would seem like a bad idea, but there is actually one scenario in which doing so would be okay.
Brewers Can Trade Freddy Peralta If They Re-Sign Brandon Woodruff
As long as the Brewers have a plan to upgrade their pitching staff, then trading Peralta might be okay. The easiest way to ensure this is to bring back Brandon Woodruff in free agency.
If they are unable to do that, they can always make a play for one of the top starters on the market such as Dylan Cease, Framber Valdez, Zac Gallen or Ranger Suarez. But they have to ensure that they are able to add somebody before they even think about trading Peralta.
Keeping Woodruff would ensure that they’ll have a frontline starter in their rotation who can be considered an ace. Then, they can entertain a possible Peralta trade, as he’ll bring back a strong haul of Major League ready players that can help the Brewers right away.
They had traded Corbin Burnes and Devin Williams when they had one year left on their contracts and brought back solid pieces before ultimately winning the NL Central both times.
So, it’s possible that it can work out. But the only condition Milwaukee should trade Peralta under is if they can add a frontline starter or keep Woodruff around for at least one more year.
Until that happens, Peralta needs to remain in Milwaukee, as he is their top starter and can play a major role in them potentially making a deeper run in the postseason next year.
It should be interesting to see what ultimately happens. Peralta’s name will continue to be floated in potential trade rumors, so the chances of a deal are never zero.
But the Brewers should only even entertain the idea if they can keep Woodruff or add somebody else to anchor the rotation. Until then, Peralta should remain in Milwaukee.
