Insider Names 5 Teams Still In on Freddy Peralta as of Mid-January

The Freddy Peralta Sweepstakes are one of the most intriguing events still ongoing this offseason around baseball, with many teams obviously interested in the Milwaukee Brewers ace.

Peralta is heading into his final season of team control, with an $8 million salary, making him the most affordable ace in the big leagues. He'll be a free agent after the 2026 campaign.

Brewers continue to field offers on ace pitcher Freddy Peralta, a free agent after 2026. Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Giants and Braves among many, many interested teams. Peralta $8M salary means anyone can afford, including Brewers, but extension tougher for small markets.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 17, 2026

Insider Jon Heyman names five notable teams to watch on the Peralta front:

New York Yankees
New York Mets
Los Angeles Dodgers
Atlanta Braves
San Francisco Giants

And we can throw a sixth team into the mix, as Ken Rosenthal has noted in The Athletic that the Baltimore Orioles are looking for a front-line starter, and we know that these two clubs completed a trade for an ace pitcher as recently as two years ago, when Corbin Burnes was sent to Baltimore from Milwaukee.

We heard this weekend that the Dodgers are in "serious" pursuit of Peralta. And given their top-rated farm system, it shouldn't be hard for them to put together a deal to make it happen.

For teams just interested in a one-year rental on Peralta, the $8 million salary is one that any team in the league can take on, even the smallest of small-market teams. But to try to get him signed to an extension? That will be a very costly affair.

Peralta had a career-best 2.70 ERA last season and 17 wins, while striking out 200+ for the third straight season.