The Aug. 3 MLB Trade Deadline is fast approaching, and teams that are both contenders and rebuilders have their own reasons for acquiring players or selling.

Concerning the Milwaukee Brewers, a strong case can be made that there is a reason to buy, especially when it comes to adding pitching depth. In addressing that, is there a chance they could reunite with a former star?

In January, following months of trade buzz involving right-hander Freddy Peralta, the Milwaukee Brewers traded him to the New York Mets along with Tobias Myers in exchange for high-level prospects Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams.

Well before trading him, the Brewers picked up Peralta’s $8 million club option for the 2026 campaign, but the rumors around his tenure with the team coming to an end seemed as close to certain as speculation can get. This is because Peralta was set to be a free agent after the 2026 season.

Given his dominance in 2025 for the Brewers, it felt like a foregone conclusion that Peralta was going to command a massive sum in free agency, one the organization could not afford. Through 33 starts in 2025, Peralta notched a 17-6 record, which was the fourth-best in baseball and a career-best mark for him. 

Additionally, Peralta's 2.70 ERA ranked seventh among qualified pitchers, and his .193 opponent batting average ranked third. However, 2026 has been a much different story.

Overall, the Mets are having a disastrous year. At 42-58, they currently have the fourth-worst record among the 30 MLB teams, and with the second-highest payroll in the sport, it creates a nightmarish combination.

Peralta has suffered individually, too. Through 20 starts, he has a 5-8 record and a 4.66 ERA, which illustrates a precipitous drop in production. Therefore, his chances of being moved at the deadline are very high.

Recently, The Athletic published the second of its three "Big Boards" between now and the deadline, and its purpose is to identify the top 75-plus players that could be moved by Aug. 3. For each player, there is a color-coded, best-guess projection regarding their likelihood of being moved.

The colors span from red (unlikely to move) to yellow (more likely) to green (most likely), and Peralta has fallen into the green category. This is where the Brewers should come in.

Look, it will be a risk acquiring Peralta. The numbers don’t lie, and they demonstrate his decline. Despite that, it is not as if he is tied to some massive, long-term contract Milwaukee needs to commit to. It is the same club option that the organization picked up in November.

Because of that, the Brewers can view him as a rental if they want. At 62-37, Milwaukee is just a half-game behind the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in baseball. The problem is, the health of its pitchers has been tenuous.

Brandon Woodruff is out for the season once again, and seven other pitchers occupy space on the Brewers’ Injured List, one of which is Kyle Harrison, who has been a strong No. 2 option behind All-Star Jacob Misiorowski.

But Milwaukee needs more, and Peralta could, in some capacity, be the answer. Could a reunion with the only other team he has known be what resurrects his capabilities? 

Peralta’s best numbers happened when he was donning a Brewers uniform, and his best days as a pitcher are not so far in the past. Perhaps a reunion could be beneficial for both sides, even if it is temporary.

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