Freddy Peralta on the block: the reality of small markets

With Halloween just around the corner, we're not going to be talking about scares today! And yet, the Milwaukee Brewers experienced quite a scare in the Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. A sweep in four games, with only four measly points on the scoreboard. The offense was completely muzzled by the Dodgers' excellent pitching, and that's sadly how Milwaukee is already thinking about its 2026 season.

Speaking of excellent pitchers, the Brewers can also count on an elite talent on the mound in Freddy Peralta. However, exceptional talent also means big money. Until now, Milwaukee had been rubbing its hands in the fact that it had agreed to a modest five-season, $15.5 million contract with its ace in 2020. The club had an option year this season to the tune of $8.1 million, and it also has one for the coming year at $8 million.

That said, having just been eliminated from the playoff picture, the collective with the best regular-season record is reportedly listening to offers for the 29-year-old right-hander.

https://twitter.com/fuzzyfromyt/status/1979585203007017245

The reality of small-market clubs

Yes, the Wisconsin outfit could undeniably afford to exercise its option and pay the gunner his $8 million. The problem is that, from 2027 onwards, the club will probably no longer be able to afford to offer him a contract worth $25-30 million per season over several years.

So, potentially, they'd rather trade him and get a good return that will keep them competitive for a few more years, than have him for one year and lose him on the free-agent market. There's no salary cap or floor in MLB, but the Milwaukee Brewers operate on an internal payroll!

Milwaukee, known for its brewing industry and Harley-Davidson, is also known for being a small market and, unlike, say, the Dodgers, why not, it can't afford to spend hundreds of millions on its players.

Los Angeles knows this, thinks it's funny and, to prove it, manager Dave Roberts adds insult to injury by proclaiming loud and clear that his club will continue to ruin baseball. Fascinating stuff!

I have a thought for Brewers fans and fans of small-market clubs, as I'm old enough to have known the Expos. By the way, I'll be listening carefully to the Netflix documentary on the death of the Expos tomorrow and will get back to you with a review.

Focus on development

Should Peralta change his address, the Brewers could count on prodigy Jacob Misiorowski to take on a bigger role. Like the Cleveland Guardians, another small-market club, they are excellent at developing pitchers. Peralta is a prime example.

In its defense, Milwaukee hasn't been lucky with the few big contracts it's been awarded. There was the case of Ryan Braun, who fell into perdition and even became persona non grata of sorts. There was also the case of Christian Yelich, who never performed up to expectations after signing a seven-year, $188.5 million contract in 2020.

In short, if they're going to trade their No. 1 gunner, in light of the results in the Championship Series, more batting power wouldn't hurt!

This content was created with the help of AI.