What the NY Mets can offer the Brewers in a Freddy Peralta trade that others can't

The latest update on Freddy Peralta’s trade market isn’t anything unexpected. According to The Athletic’s Will Sammon and Ken Rosenthal, the Milwaukee Brewers are expected to look for an immediate candidate to replace Peralta on the roster in the form of a younger, more controllable starting pitcher. The good thing for the New York Mets is they have two players who could conceivably meet that demand.

The Brandon Sproat, Jonah Tong duo debuted last year with the former outperforming the latter. That’s not to say Sproat will have the better career. Tong leaped over him in 2025 and feels a little more prized because of how utterly dominant he was in the minor leagues at all stops. It wasn’t until he was prematurely called up when we saw the first signs of cracks.

Sproat is more MLB-ready with Tong maybe only a few months behind. One would be a must in any trade for Peralta. But other teams can match this. What can the Mets do differently?

The advantage for the Mets in a Freddy Peralta trade comes down to quantity

If we’re drawing up plans for a trade for Peralta, the best way to get Milwaukee to greenlight a trade is to give them more than one of what they desire most. Sproat and Tong? Get outta here. They can have one. The remainder of the package would need to be more about quantity.

The Mets farm system is flush with pitching talent. The group of Will Watson, Jack Wenninger, Jonathan Santucci, Zach Thornton, and R.J. Gordon can be ranked in a variety of ways. The first three seem more higher-end with the latter two performing well this past season but not close to being untouchable. That’s five starting pitcher candidates who could be of some interest to Milwaukee after the headliner is decided on, whether it’s Sproat or Tong.

For their own sake, Sproat feels useful for the Mets in 2026. As the best and most favorable sixth starter they could turn to for something as simple as a spring training injury, they need to be careful about trading him. In a different way, they don’t want to expel Tong from the roster just for the sake of immediate starting pitching depth. They can find that in other forms.

Seven Mets starting pitching prospects coming off of good seasons, the Brewers could be tempted by a group package of three. One from the Sproat-Tong group. Pick a second from the Watson-Wenninger-Santucci level. Finally, add in Thornton or Gordon. It’s a steep price and without a doubt, the Mets would probably like to swap one of the arms for a position player. 

The thing is, as likely as it is for some of these starting pitching prospects to end up in the bullpen, there’s a possibility they flame out quickly, too. Top Mets pitching prospects are all nearing MLB-ready at the same time. There’s only so many spots and one of the deciding factors could have to do with Rule 5 Draft eligibility.

In December 2026, Wenninger and Thornton become Rule 5 eligible. This isn’t the leading reason why they’d be the preferred choices but a consideration. David Stearns has regularly stacked the Mets 40-man roster with journeymen relievers. They’d be hampered by this ever-so-slightly if they have to begin stacking it with minor league arms.

Sproat, Wenninger, and Thornton as an example would award the Brewers with three high-profile Mets pitching prospects. It’s not a perfect package because of the heftiness of it. Peralta is only under team control for one more season, but this would be the kind of all-in type of move to make for the sake of a 2026 championship. The Mets haven’t quite shown us that’s a part of their plan.

Instead, Sproat, Wenninger, and maybe a lesser prospect or a position player should suffice. The Brewers want a pitcher who can quickly step in for Peralta. Sproat is first in line with Wenninger not far back. It’s the kind of trade they can win and compete with. For the Mets' sake, it also doesn't drain the system entirely.