San Diego Padres Were Among Finalists for Freddy Peralta

[Steve Drumwright]

Before the Milwaukee Brewers shipped ace Freddy Peralta to the New York Mets, the San Diego Padres were in contention for the right-hander's services.

This according to a report by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, who said the Padres, Texas Rangers, San Francisco Giants and Minnesota Twins were in the conversation late. But Rosenthal said the Brewers went with the Mets in part because New York had been the most persistent team.

The question from the Padres' perspective is if they had the prospect capital to make a Peralta deal happen. The Brewers received two of the Mets' top-five prospects in infielder-outfielder Jett Williams and right-handed starter Brandon Sproat. While Williams likely needs a little more time in the minors, Sproat is expected to contend for a spot in the Crew's rotation this spring.

The prospect closest to matching what the Brewers were seeking, MLB-ready talent, is right-handed starter Miguel Mendez, who ranks as the No. 8 prospect in the Friars' system by MLB Pipeline. But Mendez had only six games at the Double-A level in 2025 and probably has another year in the minors before truly being an MLB option.

There are no position players that would have fit that mold, either, even when you consider the Padres' MLB roster.

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