Braves may have perfect Freddy Peralta trade piece and it isn't JR Ritchie

Although we are less than a month away from pitchers and catchers reporting, the baseball offseason has plenty of big moves left to be made. Alex Anthopoulos still has work to do, and if he wants to emphatically punctuate the Braves’ offseason, trading for current Brewers ace Freddy Peralta would be an exciting way to do so.

The Brewers’ rotation stalwart has been the focus of trade talks all offseason, and the Braves have been mentioned as a team to watch in the Peralta sweepstakes. Thanks to a recent report, we now have a clearer idea of what the Brewers might be seeking in return; luckily for Atlanta, they have the means to engage in serious Peralta trade talks with Milwaukee.

This recent report can be traced back to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, which states that Milwaukee is looking to acquire "a young, major-league ready replacement" in exchange for Peralta. If that is the case, Braves young starter Hurston Waldrep could be the perfect centerpiece in a deal for Peralta.

Trading Hurston Waldrep would be bold, but Freddy Peralta may be the perfect guy to do it for

Waldrep was the Braves’ first-round pick back in 2023 and was a top prospect in the organization for much of 2024. The beginning of 2025 saw the affinity for Waldrep dip, but that didn’t stop him from working on his craft. A plethora of injuries to Atlanta’s rotation last season caused Waldrep to arrive in the big leagues earlier than the organization may have wanted. However, Waldrep was stellar during his first extended cup of coffee in the majors, creating significant buzz about the pitcher he can develop into.

This season, Waldrep will enter spring training hoping to secure a spot in the rotation, but by no means did his 56.1 innings in 2025 entrench him into Atlanta’s plans for years to come. The fact is, Waldrep still has a lot to prove, and truthfully, the hope is that he ends up producing as consistently as a pitcher like Freddy Peralta. That is why making this trade makes a ton of sense for both parties.

Of course, the biggest caveat with this deal is the fact that Peralta has only one year of control remaining versus the six years Waldrep would come with. Making this trade would absolutely have to come with the assumption that some type of extension could be hammered out before the season begins. The Brewers are notorious for not paying players, so there is every chance Peralta would be open to negotiating such a deal despite being this close to free agency. If that is indeed the case, and the Brewers view Waldrep positively this deal could come to light.