The Los Angeles Dodgers aren’t the only NL West team interested in Milwaukee Brewers All-Star starting pitcher Freddy Peralta, as the San Diego Padres have also entered the fold as a suitor.
“The Padres also are among the clubs to check in with the Milwaukee Brewers on a trade for righty ace Freddy Peralta, whose salary this season will be $8 million,” The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal wrote.
The Brewers have also drawn the attention of the Dodgers, though, as reported by The Athletic’s Katie Woo on Tuesday.
“The Dodgers remain interested in Milwaukee Brewers right-handerFreddy Peralta, a two-time All-Star approaching his final season before free agency,” she wrote.
Why Do the Padres Want Freddy Peralta?
The Padres suffered huge losses to their pitching staff in the 2025 offseason, losing Yu Darvish to injury as well as Nestor Cortes and Dylan Cease to free agency. They retained Michael King — bringing the right-hander back on a three-year deal — and still have Nick Pivetta under contract for several seasons, but behind those two, there isn’t much to ride home about in the Padres’ rotation.
Adding an All-Star like Peralta would strengthen the Padres’ primary weakness this offseason and give them more of a chance against the Dodgers.
Would Freddy Peralta Fit With the Dodgers?
The Dodgers need Peralta much less than the Padres, but Peralta could still play a big role for L.A. if they were to trade for him.
Los Angeles ran a six man rotation in 2025, giving Clayton Kershaw, Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Emmet Sheehan regular starts towards the end of the year. Roki Sasaki will also return to starting in 2026, and will fill the spot Kershaw left.
The Dodgers also have a couple of players returning from injury in Gavin Stone and River Ryan. The duo will also more than likely play a role in the Dodgers’ pitching staff for the upcoming year.
Peralta, though, would still command a spot in the Dodgers’ rotation if he were to move to the NL West, as he was one of the best starters in MLB last season. He had a 2.70 ERA through 33 starts, both of which marked career bests. The right-hander has started 30 or more games three seasons in a row, and would be a solid cornerstone for a Dodgers’ rotation which can’t seem to stay away from the injured list.
L.A. haven’t made their move for Peralta yet, but if they’re to beat San Diego to the punch, they’ll need to act soon.
Photo Credit: Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
