Milwaukee, WI
Was It Wrong For The Milwaukee Brewers To Trade Freddy Peralta?
The question everyone asks when a trade like this happens is pretty simple: Was this the right move for the team?
Some deals cut a little deeper, and this one definitely feels like one of those.
But this is how the Milwaukee Brewers operate, regardless of whether you agree with the strategy. On Wednesday, the Crew traded ace right-hander Freddy Peralta. They sent him and an expendable piece, right-hander Tobias Myers, to the New York Mets for two of their top-five prospects: infielder-outfielder Jett Williams and right-handed starter Brandon Sproat.
One of the first negative reactions I saw on social media was something from a national baseball writer to the effect of “The Brewers, not the Dodgers, are ruining baseball because they can’t afford $8 million.”
That is certainly a take. Very wrong, but certainly a take.
The Brewers were more than willing to pay Peralta $8 million for 2026. The reason behind the trade is what comes after 2026. No, I’m not talking about whatever happens related to a lockout or strike or anything related to the collective bargaining agreement.
Instead, it has to do with Peralta’s future. He will be a free agent following the 2026 World Series. Peralta enters his age-30 season in a prime position to cash in. After a team-friendly five-year, $15.5 million contract extension that then became a seven-year, $31.6 million deal with two club options that bought out two free-agent years, Peralta is due a payday. He has earned it. Remember that Peralta came to the Brewers as one of three wild cards as they dealt first baseman Adam Lind to the Seattle Mariners following the 2015 season. Peralta hadn’t played any higher than the complex league in Arizona at that point and was 19 years old when he joined the Crew.
In the 10 years since, Peralta has been a self-made pitcher. Sure, the Brewers gave him all the tools they could, but it was Peralta who put in the work and rose from obscurity to MLB All-Star and Cy Young Award contender. And the Brewers reaped the benefits of that and took advantage of the salary-suppression system MLB employs to get more value out of their investment in Peralta. No longer is he Fastball Freddy, the youngster who could only throw a variety of fastballs. Now he features three offspeed pitches in a changeup, slider, and curveball to go along with a four-seam fastball.
Since his stunning 13-strikeout MLB debut on that Mother’s Day in Colorado in 2018, Peralta has been an integral part of the Brewers’ success. Since joining the rotation full-time at the beginning of the 2021 season, Peralta has been a rock in the rotation, even if he wasn’t spectacular for most of that. He started 139 of 141 games with a FIP of 3.65, an ERA of 3.30, and an ERA+ of 126. That ERA+ means Peralta was 26% above the average MLB pitcher. That number was certainly boosted by his 2025 performance, where he posted a 154 ERA+ and finished fifth in NL Cy Young Award voting.
The Brewers’ philosophy of baseball business is not to overpay. They don’t want to hand out exorbitant salaries that could weigh down their roster at the back end. The Brewers are approaching that situation with Christian Yelich, who has three more years at about $24 million each before a mutual option at $20 million for 2029 (those are usually declined). Peralta will certainly clear what Yelich, technically the Crew’s highest-paid player*, is making, perhaps even approach $30 million a year. It is his market value at this moment. The Brewers would have given Peralta a qualifying offer (probably around $23 million for 2027), which he would have declined and netted the Brewers one single draft pick.
That was the situation Brandon Woodruff was in this offseason. Woodruff accepted the qualifying offer and returned on a $22.025 million contract for 2026. That is on top of the $10 million mutual option buyout the Crew paid Woodruff instead of a $20 million contract. So Woodruff is really making $32.025 million this season* (thus the mythical highest-paid Brewers player).
Could the Brewers afford Peralta’s $8 million for 2026? Of course. That was never in question. But the Brewers, like they did with closer Josh Hader, starter Corbin Burnes, and closer Devin Williams, sold high on the player in question. Burnes netted shortstop Joey Ortiz, left-hander DL Hall, and a draft pick that resulted in first baseman Blake Burke from the Baltimore Orioles. Williams brought back third baseman Caleb Durbin and left-handed starter Nestor Cortes.
Hall hasn’t panned out yet, and Cortes flamed out due to injury. Ortiz and Durbin are the starting left side of the infield. Time will tell on Jett Williams and Sproat, but their pedigree is higher than that of the others acquired in those other two deals. This is how the Brewers churn their talent. This is part of the secret sauce they have used to win three straight NL Central titles.
I am on record as saying Peralta was the perfect player for the Brewers to invest in. He epitomizes what they do, taking a ball of clay and molding it into something useful.
But I also understand the Brewers’ philosophy and agree with it to a certain extent. Players should get paid what they are worth, and teams also have the right not to make a bad investment. Hader cashed in. Devin Williams got his payday. So did Burnes, who then got hurt. Peralta, barring the unforeseen, will get his next offseason.
Just not from the Brewers, who sold Peralta at his peak and now instead have two good prospects, bolstering an already-burgeoning farm system.
Was this the right move for the team?
Yes, it was.
MILWAUKEE – The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for Milwaukee and all of southeastern Wisconsin from noon Tuesday through 8 p.m. Wednesday, with heat index values expected to reach the upper 90s to around 100 degrees.
While the advisory is expected to end Wednesday evening, hot and humid conditions are forecast to continue through the remainder of the week.
Forecast conditions can change, so everyone is encouraged to monitor local forecasts and follow guidance from the National Weather Service.
Milwaukee County cooling sites
What we know:
Cooling sites are available throughout Milwaukee County.
For an updated list of cooling locations, heat safety information, and resources on preventing heat-related illness, visit the City of Milwaukee website or call 211.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android
Staying safe during extreme heat
What you can do:
Stay cool
- Limit outdoor activities, especially during the hottest part of the day.
- Spend time in air-conditioned buildings whenever possible such as libraries, shopping centers, or community centers.
- If you have an air conditioner, make sure it is installed and working properly.
- Wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing.
- Take cool showers or baths, or use cool, wet towels to lower body temperature.
- Fans may provide comfort but should not be relied upon as the primary cooling method during extreme heat.
Stay hydrated
- Drink water regularly, even if you do not feel thirsty.
- Avoid alcohol and excessive caffeine, which can contribute to dehydration.
- Encourage children, older adults, and others at higher risk to drink fluids throughout the day.
Protect yourself and others
- Never leave children, older adults, or pets unattended in vehicles. Temperatures inside a parked vehicle can become deadly within minutes.
- Check on older neighbors, family members, and others who may need assistance staying cool.
- Many public cooling sites are located along Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) routes. Visit RideMCTS.com for transit information.
Know the Signs of Heat-Related Illness
Heat exhaustion may include:
- Heavy sweating
- Weakness or fatigue
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Fainting
Heat stroke is a medical emergency. Symptoms may include:
- High body temperature
- Hot, dry skin or profuse sweating
- Confusion
- Rapid pulse
- Loss of consciousness
Call 911 immediately if someone is experiencing signs of heat stroke.
For additional hot weather safety information, visit the City of Milwaukee website.
The Source: City of Milwaukee Health Department sent FOX6 the information.
Milwaukee, WI
Squire Robinson leads a new generation of Milwaukee artists with his distinctly bold style
In a cavernous attic studio stands Squire Robinson.
Next to him on the ground is an unfinished painting of his. Hung above him are numerous paintings that he’s finished in the past year.
The walls are filled with works of art, crafted by the various artists who also call 100% MKE, a nonprofit arts studio and workspace at 217 N. Broadway, home.
Robinson’s art doesn’t just stand among them – it stands out.
Maybe it’s the saturated reds that prevail in each of his pieces.
Maybe it’s the bold strokes that create the even bolder figures that call his paintings home.
Either way, Robinson’s art has a tangible effect for those with the eyes to see.
“Sometimes the most important piece of art is that you feel. His art makes you feel,” Richard Badger Jr. said. Badger, who goes by the artist name Coyote Rich, is also an artist in residence at 100% MKE.
Robinson first fell in love with art through his grandfather, who painted signs for corner stores. Early memories of drawing contests with his grandfather enchanted Squire into the art world.
Later, Robinson drew comics and superhero characters, foreshadowing the powerful figures he paints today.
“My style has always been there, it’s just evolution, it grows and changes,” Robinson said.
Robinson, a 2024 graduate of the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, has always had a certain fascination with Renaissance-era paintings.
Yet despite his appreciation of the style, something was missing.
“I appreciated the technique and skill, but I just couldn’t really relate to it,” Robinson said.
For him, the lack of diversity made the style feel distant.
Black culture in art
Now, Robinson’s style flows through the powerful Black people he paints.
“I took some of that flavor and remixed it to something that is more me,” Robinson said. “My inspiration comes from Black culture, music and my dreams.”
Robinson’s own personality is vehemently present in each of his pieces.
“His art has a very strong personality behind it,” said Nelle Speerschneider, a co-founding board member of 100% MKE.
By the end of a lengthy creative process, Robinson’s pieces are saturated with color and shapes that make viewers stop and stare. For Robinson, that’s the goal.
“To me, good art is when you can just stare at it and sit with it and think,” Robinson said. “If you see my work and walk right past it, then I didn’t do something right.”
Music and the flow state
Robinson said when he is met with a blank canvas, he doesn’t begin with a person or a setting; he starts with the mood. Then, with the help of music, he lets his art flow.
“I don’t try to contain the style, it’s just all me,” Robinson said.
Music is a big deal for Robinson. So much so that he can’t paint without it. Robinson’s taste in music, from classical and jazz to his love for Kendrick Lamar, seeps into his art.
“Squire’s art makes me feel like music,” Badger said.
Robinson said music helps him loosen up and get out of a funk.
“It helps me escape and enter that flow state,” Robinson said.
He said music supports his ethereal creative process.
“Sometimes when I paint, I feel like I’m being guided by something higher than me,” Robinson said.
Milwaukee made
As a young figure in the Milwaukee art scene, Robinson wears the city on his sleeve.
“Growing up in Milwaukee made me hard in the sense of staying true to myself,” Robinson said.
At 100% MKE, Robinson offers a unique voice. “It’s nice to have his youthful and urban take in the studio,” Speerschneider said.
Badger said young artists like Robinson are vital for pushing the scene forward.
“They’re the driving force of what Milwaukee looks and feels like,” he said.
Future goals
Going forward, Robinson wants to become an art therapist, someone who uses the medium of art to process emotional challenges.
“Art has always been a way to self-express and get my own feelings out,” Robinson said. “That’s why the tone of my paintings matters the most, because those feelings are what I’m trying to evoke.”
As for his art career, Robinson says his finest work is yet to come.
“I haven’t created my best one yet.”
Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.
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Milwaukee, WI
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