The Yankees are always in the business of star hunting, and with the rotation needing a legitimate stabilizer, Milwaukee Brewers ace Freddy Peralta feels like the perfect fit. He misses bats, he dominates right-handers, and he brings the kind of swagger that plays well in the Bronx.
But as much as we all want to see “Fastball Freddy” in pinstripes, the reality of the trade market is starting to set in, and the cost might be higher than General Manager Brian Cashman is willing to pay.
According to a recent report from The Athletic, the Brewers aren’t just looking to dump salary; they are looking to retool on the fly.
“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.”
This demand for immediate impact puts the Yankees in a precarious position. Milwaukee doesn’t want lottery tickets; they want arms that can step onto a mound in 2026 and get outs. For the Yankees, that means parting with some of the most electrifying young talent in the system.
The Two Names That Could Seal the Deal
The Athletic specifically identified two Yankees prospects who could entice Milwaukee: Carlos Lagrange and Elmer Rodriguez.
“The Atlanta Braves (JR Ritchie), New York Yankees (Carlos Lagrange, Elmer Rodríguez), Boston Red Sox (Payton Tolle, Connelly Early) and Los Angeles Dodgers (River Ryan, Emmett Sheehan, Gavin Stone) are among the other clubs with the ability to entice the Brewers — again, assuming they are willing to make that type of move.”
Lagrange is the kind of arm you dream on. He is a young flamethrower capable of hitting triple digits with his fastball, possessing the raw stuff that scouts drool over. Then you have Elmer Rodriguez, who might be the more complete package right now. Rodriguez boasts a deep five-pitch arsenal with several above-average offerings. He has touched 99 mph with his heater and projects as a solid mid-rotation starter within the next few years, though many believe his upside is significantly higher than that.
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Is One Year of Peralta Worth the Farm?
Here is where the math gets tricky. Peralta is an elite arm, but he has just one year left in arbitration before hitting free agency. Trading two high-ceiling arms like Lagrange and Rodriguez—who could be staples of the Yankees’ staff for six years—for one guaranteed season of Peralta is a massive gamble.
The Yankees have done a great job developing pitching recently, and asking if could the Yankees find their next Cam Schlittler breakout prospect inside their own system is a valid question.
Giving up “very solid prospects” for a rental is the kind of move that wins World Series or gets GMs fired. If the price remains this high, Cashman might be better off pivoting to more affordable options to eat innings at the back of the rotation, saving his bullets for a target with more years of control.