Heading into the Winter Meetings, the chances of a Freddy Peralta trade appeared to be at their lowest of the offseason. By design, Matt Arnold and the Milwaukee Brewers' front office, as well as their ownership group, have been talking up just how fortunate the club feels to have Peralta at the top of their rotation in 2026 and just how important he is to the team's clubhouse culture.
Arnold's sentiment, however, isn't just a ploy to drive up Peralta's asking price, though that is a nice side effect; it's the honest truth. Peralta means more to this team than the pitchers Milwaukee has elected to trade away in years past.