After the Milwaukee Brewers officially parted ways with Freddy Peralta, a phrase was repeated over and over: “That’s how they operate.” And if you look at the series of trades since the 2022 trade deadline — Josh Hader, Corbin Burnes, Devin Williams, and then Peralta — it’s hard to argue with that.
But the question isn’t what the Brewers do, but why they have to.
The familiar outside criticism often revolves around a simple argument: Milwaukee is “too cheap” to keep its own developed stars. That argument ignores the harsh reality the Brewers face: they lack the revenue to compete in the free market with the big teams — teams with three times their payroll, and the very teams that often block the Brewers’ path to the World Series.
The Brewers don’t sell stars out of loyalty. They sell stars because it’s the only way to survive and compete long-term.
Milwaukee’s strategy focuses on a very specific asset: players in their first six MLB careers. These players are paid less than their on-court value—creating enormous surplus value. When you can’t buy stars, you have to possess exceptional value relative to their payroll. And the Brewers have become masters of that.
Therefore, parting ways with Peralta—though painful—was a strategically sound decision. The Brewers sold him when his value peaked, added two top prospects, and continued the cycle that had brought them sustained success.
And that leads to the next—more uncomfortable, more sensitive question: What about Trevor Megill?
Megill, an All-Star closer to 2025, still has two years of control over the team. Unlike Peralta, the Brewers aren’t forced to act immediately. They could easily keep Megill for the 2026 season, enjoy his stability at the end of the bullpen, and then sell him the following winter.
That gives Milwaukee more leverage than ever in negotiations. A closer All-Star, just 32 years old, who just had a 2.49 ERA season with 30 saves, and only earned $4.7 million — that’s a coveted commodity for any competing team.
However, the paradox lies here: keeping Megill is also a gamble.
He just had the best season of his career. Expecting him to repeat an All-Star campaign in 2026 is highly uncertain — especially for a reliever, a position known for its volatility. If the Brewers believe in the philosophy of “selling high,” then Megill is right there.
The problem is that other teams understand this too. The offers the Brewers are receiving likely reflect concerns about his decline. And that’s why Milwaukee can’t — and shouldn’t — force a trade.
If there’s a truly overwhelming offer, the kind that makes the analytics department sit down and be silent for a few minutes, Brewers should nod. Otherwise, they can absolutely go into 2026 with Megill in hand, maintain their bullpen structure, and wait for a more opportune moment.
This is the fine line between ruthlessness and intelligence — where Brewers has learned to walk without stumbling. Selling at the right time has become their hallmark. But selling out of habit is not.
Trevor Megill could be the next name. But only if the price truly makes Milwaukee unable to say no.
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