The Atlanta Braves are staring down a pivotal offseason, and the clock is ticking on a championship window that won’t stay open forever. With a core built to win now, the next move from GM Alex Anthopoulos needs to be bold, calculated, and impactful.
The Braves don’t just need a starter - they need the starter who can slide in behind Spencer Strider and Chris Sale and give this rotation the kind of depth that wins October games. Enter Freddy Peralta.
Peralta, Milwaukee’s electric right-hander, checks every box for what the Braves should be targeting. He’s a high-strikeout, high-upside arm with postseason experience and the kind of stuff that plays deep into games - and deep into playoff runs.
Even better, his contract situation makes him more than a rental. While he’s heading into the final guaranteed year of his deal, there’s a team option for 2026 at just $8 million.
That’s a bargain for a pitcher who finished ninth in the majors in strikeouts last season with 204.
That team-friendly option is exactly what makes a deal like this feasible - and potentially very smart - for both sides. The Brewers, looking to reset their rotation and avoid future payroll crunches, can move Peralta now and get real value in return.
And the Braves? They can add a frontline starter without gutting the farm system.
A package centered around Hurston Waldrep and Blake Burkhalter could get it done. Waldrep, a 2023 first-rounder, brings serious upside.
His fastball lives in the upper 90s, and his splitter is already drawing comparisons to some of the nastiest pitches in the game. He’s raw, sure, but the ceiling is sky-high.
He’s the kind of prospect who could headline a deal without the Braves having to part with their most untouchable arms like Cam Caminiti or JR Ritchie - the latter of whom might be knocking on the big-league door as early as this season.
Then there’s Burkhalter, a right-hander with a polished three-pitch mix and solid command. He’s coming off a strong season in the minors and looks like a guy who could contribute at multiple levels. For Milwaukee, this is the kind of return that fits their current trajectory - controllable arms with upside, and a chance to build a new-look rotation without taking on long-term risk.
From the Braves’ perspective, this is the kind of swing a contending team has to take. Peralta gives Atlanta a legitimate No. 2 or 3 starter, depending on how you view Chris Sale’s health and performance.
He’s a strikeout machine with the ability to dominate lineups, and his presence would turn the Braves’ rotation into one of the most formidable in baseball. Strider, Sale, Peralta - that’s a playoff trio that nobody wants to face.
And let’s be honest: the Braves can’t afford to wait. This is a roster built to win now, with MVP-caliber talent and a lineup that can mash with the best of them. But October baseball is about pitching, and adding Peralta would address the team’s biggest need without mortgaging the future.
This kind of move - bold, aggressive, calculated - is what separates contenders from pretenders. The winter meetings are the perfect backdrop for a deal like this to materialize. If the Braves want to make a serious push for another World Series title in 2026, this is the kind of transaction that could define their season.