The Cubs know firsthand how good Freddy Peralta is on the mound. Peralta has a 3.21 ERA across 22 games (17 starts) against the North Siders in his career, and his 131 strikeouts against them are the most of any team he has faced in his eight years. 

Of course, playing in the same division plays a factor in those 131 strikeouts. However, there’s no doubt about it that the right-hander has dominated the Cubs in recent seasons.

In 2023, Peralta faced the Cubs once and allowed three runs across 5 ⅓ innings with 10 strikeouts. Then in 2024, he allowed just five runs across 17 ⅔ innings (2.55 ERA) in his three starts against them while striking out 24 batters in those three outings. 

This past year, it was more of the same for the Brewers pitcher against the Cubs. He threw six shutout innings with seven strikeouts on May 4 and delivered another six shutout innings performance on August 18. 

Considering Chicago has a career .167 batting average against Peralta in his career, no team would be happier than the Cubs to see him go to another team. And it appears that could be the case before next season. 

Andy McCullough of The Athletic reported early on Saturday that the Brewers are planning to take offers on Peralta this offseason. The 29-year-old has a club option worth one year, $8 million for the 2026 season, before he becomes a free agent in 2027. 

Trading away top-tier talent a year before that player hits free agency is something the Brewers have done in recent seasons. They traded away Josh Hader at the 2022 Trade Deadline, dealt Corbin Burnes during the 2024 offseason, and moved Devin Williams last offseason. 

The Brewers know they likely won’t be able to keep these types of players long-term due to financial reasons. So, they make the smart move of dealing those star players for some young talent. 

However, it’s pretty clear Peralta will not be a Cub next season. While the Cubs would definitely love Peralta in their rotation, the Brewers would never deal him to a division rival.

According to Baseball Reference, the Cubs and Brewers have made just one trade together since 2006. The last trade these two teams made was back in December of 2016, when Milwaukee sent reliever Caleb Smith to Chicago in exchange for cash considerations. 

Other than that trade, both teams have not been open for business with each other. It has been almost a decade since the Cubs and Brewers have made a single trade together. 

So, it’s wishful thinking that the Cubs will get Peralta this offseason.