Dodgers fans can probably move on from Freddy Peralta rumors for this main reason

Freddy Peralta to the Dodgers is the kind of rumor that feels true — right up until you ask why the Milwaukee Brewers would help LA.

We know that Peralta is really good. The résumé is steadier than most, and he just put up a monster 2025 season (NL-leading 17 wins, 2.70 ERA, 176 2/3 innings). Sure, the Dodgers are the Dodgers, so “why not add another frontline arm?” is basically their favorite hobby. 

But here’s the main reason this feels more like offseason content than an offseason reality: the Brewers have zero incentive to make the Dodgers even scarier.

The Dodgers-Peralta rumor is missing the one thing that matters most

Peralta is heading into the final year of his deal, and the entire conversation is built on the idea that Milwaukee might prefer trading him to risking free agency. Reasonable.

What’s not reasonable is assuming the Brewers are going to choose the one destination that turns their own postseason path into a horror movie.

It’s not like LA is begging for oxygen here. They're operating from a place of obnoxious pitching wealth. Even if the Dodgers can out-prospect other bidders, the Brewers can simply … not do it. They would happily take a slightly different package from an AL club and sleep at night.

It’s a rumor that is easy to inflate because Peralta is the kind of pitcher every contender should be interested in. Durable, too. 30 or more starts in each of the last three seasons. 

But it looks like the Dodgers are shopping more from paranoia than need. Last year’s (and the year before that's) injury chaos is still fresh, which is why “acquire depth now, figure it out later” plays in their front office. That doesn’t mean a deal is likely. It just means LA will be connected to basically every high-end arm until spring training ends.

This rumor for Dodgers fans is best treated like a temperature check and not a countdown. Peralta is talented enough to be linked to the Dodgers, and the Dodgers are aggressive enough to pick up the phone. But if you’re looking for the cleanest reason to move on, it’s this:

Milwaukee isn’t going to be the franchise that volunteers to make the Dodgers better. Especially not with a pitcher who could be staring them down in a playoff series.