As the trade market for frontline starting pitching begins to take shape, MLB analyst Steve Phillips believes the Milwaukee Brewers may be best served by exercising patience rather than rushing to move right-hander Freddy Peralta. According to Phillips, the key to maximizing Peralta’s trade value could lie in waiting for a blockbuster involving Tigers ace Tarik Skubal.

Phillips’ logic centers on market dynamics and buyer psychology. Skubal, one of the most dominant left-handers in baseball, is expected to command an enormous prospect package if Detroit decides to move him.

With two years of club control remaining and elite production, Skubal’s price tag will almost certainly exceed that of Peralta, who is also under control for two more seasons but projects at a slightly lower financial and prospect cost.

The critical detail, Phillips argues, is overlap. The teams most interested in Peralta are likely the same clubs aggressively pursuing Skubal. Contenders looking for a rotation-defining arm will naturally prioritize Skubal first, knowing that acquiring him requires accepting a significant level of organizational “pain” — surrendering top prospects and depth.

By waiting for Skubal’s situation to resolve, the Brewers could benefit from that reality. Once Skubal is dealt, the teams that miss out will already have internally approved major prospect packages.

Those front offices will have crossed the psychological hurdle of giving up premium talent. At that point, Peralta becomes the best remaining alternative, and those teams may be more willing to part with a stronger return than they would have before the Skubal domino falls.

In Phillips’ view, that sequence matters. Trading Peralta too early risks allowing interested teams to remain cautious, knowing that a bigger prize may still be available. But after Skubal is off the board, leverage shifts. The urgency increases, and Milwaukee could extract a package closer to Skubal-level pain than Peralta’s true market value might otherwise dictate.

For the Brewers, who are balancing present competitiveness with long-term sustainability, timing could be just as important as talent. Peralta remains a valuable, controllable starter with strikeout ability and postseason experience — exactly the type of arm contenders covet in July.

If Phillips’ assessment proves accurate, Milwaukee’s best move may not be acting first, but rather waiting for the market’s biggest card to be played — and then capitalizing on the fallout.

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