Could the Philadelphia Phillies swing this blockbuster trade to bolster their pitching staff?
The Philadelphia Phillies definitely need to make some moves this offseason, and while their outfield is certainly the No. 1 concern, they also must address their starting rotation.
Yes, the Phillies' starting pitching staff was great in 2025, but Zack Wheeler is recovering from a blood clot, Ranger Suarez appears to be a goner in free agency and Aaron Nola was nothing short of an unmitigated disaster this past season.
Philadelphia still has Cristopher Sanchez and Jesus Luzardo in its rotation, but suddenly, the rest of it is full of question marks.
The Phillies don't seem incredibly likely to splurge on someone like Framber Valdez or Dylan Cease in free agency, so a trade could be their best avenue toward adding a viable arm.
Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller feels that Philadelphia could take a big swing on a hurler this winter, tabbing the Phillies as one of the top potential trade destinations for Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Freddy Peralta.
Miller has proposed a deal in which Philadelphia would send top shortstop prospect Aidan Miller as well as first base prospect Keaton Anthony and pitching prospect Wen-Hui Pan to the Brewers in exchange for Peralta.
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Freddy Peralta. Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images."But how desperate are they to win it all right now?" Miller questioned. "With Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola each well into his mid-30's while Jesus Luzardo, Alec Bohm and several others are entering their final season before free agency? Next season may well be the final year of a closing window for this team, and it might decide it's worth parting with Miller to have maybe the best rotation in baseball."
Peralta went 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA while allowing 124 hits and racking up 204 strikeouts over 176.2 innings of work in 2025, earning his second career All-Star selection.
The 29-year-old broke into the big leagues with Milwaukee in 2019 and has logged a 3.59 ERA over the course of his MLB tenure, averaging a hefty 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings.
The catch is that Peralta is slated to hit free agency after 2026, so Philadelphia would have to risk the chance of him being a one-year rental.
But considering that the Phillies have not been able to get over the hump, Peralta might be worth that risk.