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The San Francisco Giants were predicted as the team that will trade for Freddy Peralta.

While the signing of Tyler Mahle would seemingly mean that the San Francisco Giants are done making additions to their starting rotation, one MLB writer feels that the team will acquire a 2025 All-Star starting pitcher via a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers.

During the Batting Around roundtable on January 8, R.J. Anderson predicted that the Brewers would trade ace Freddy Peralta to the Giants.

“As for where Peralta lands, that’s harder to pin down since the top of the free-agent market hasn’t moved,” Anderson said. “He makes sense for practically every contender and his contract is about as budget-friendly as you’re going to find for someone of his service time and track record. I’ll throw a dart at the wall and say the Giants.”

Anderson also conceded that “You could sub in any number of other teams, the Yankees and Orioles included, and it would make sense to me too.”

When analyzing potential trades, we have to ask ourselves some questions. Question 1: What would Peralta cost?

Freddy Peralta Would Cost the San Francisco Giants At Least One Young Starter

In a January 10 article, Will Sammon and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic laid out what the Brewers would likely expect in a trade.

“If the Milwaukee Brewers are going to trade All-Star right-hander Freddy Peralta, they ideally will want the return to include a young, major-league ready replacement,” Rosenthal and Sammon said. “Interested teams might resist, knowing they would get only one year of club control with Peralta.”

Landen Roupp would likely be involved in any deal, as the 27-year-old has already proven himself a capable Major League pitcher. Other options include Carson Whisenhunt, Carson Seymour and Trevor McDonald. Blade Tidwell, the breakout candidate whom the Giants acquired as part of the package for Tyler Rogers, is another possibility.

Clearly, the Giants want to keep some of those guys around for the future. But the signings of Mahle and Adrian Houser, in addition to trading for Peralta, would make some of them more expendable.

Knowing what Peralta would cost, we now move to the second question. Is Peralta worth it?

Peralta is Reliable

Peralta’s best years were his two All-Star seasons, 2021 (2.81 ERA, 0.970 WHIP, 195 strikeouts in 144.1 innings) and 2025 (2.70 ERA, 1.075 WHIP, 204 strikeouts in 176.2 innings). As good as those seasons were, they represent Peralta’s ceiling. What about his floor? The intervening three seasons help us answer that question.

Peralta’s 2022 season was limited by injuries. In 78 innings, he posted a 3.58 ERA, 1.038 WHIP and notched 86 strikeouts. His 2023 (3.86 ERA, 1.117 WHIP, 210 strikeouts in 165.2 innings) and 2024 (3.68 ERA, 1.215 WHIP, 200 strikeouts in 173.2 innings) were similar.

If you’re giving up a significant haul that includes young players/prospects, it’s important to know that the person you’re acquiring will at least be good. That’s even more important when the player, like Peralta, is a pending free agent. Any team trading for him might only have him for one year.

At his best, Peralta is an ace. But more importantly, Peralta has proven that, even in his less spectacular seasons, he will strike batters out and be a reliable No. 2 or No. 3 starter. He can be an effective innings eater, which would take some pressure off the bullpen, something that was quite necessary in 2025.

Trading for Peralta wouldn’t be cheap but his history tells us that he’s worth the cost. This is the exact kind of move the Giants should look to make if they’re serious about returning to the playoffs in 2026.

Michael Dixon Michael Dixon has over 15 years of experience in journalism, both online and in print. While originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, he presently lives in the greater Indianapolis area. He’s also previously lived and worked in Arizona. More about Michael Dixon