Why Red Sox Should Take a Swing at Freddy Peralta

If the Red Sox want better than the seventh-best odds to win the World Series in 2026, they need a front-line rotation upgrade that raises the staff’s ceiling.

Garrett Crochet is your obvious  No. 1 as the runner-up for American League Cy Young in 2025.

Newly acquired righty Sonny Gray is sitting somewhere in the No. 2 or 3 role, depending on how the rest of the offseason plays out.

In a perfect world, Gray is your No. 3, as Boston still should be in the market for another reliable arm, both for next season and beyond.

Maybe Brayan Bello becomes that guy? But I don’t think the team should be banking on that.

That’s where someone like Brewers righty Freddy Peralta comes into play.

If Craig Breslow could pull it off, it would completely alter the shape of the American League - durable enough to stabilize the rotation, electric enough to elevate it, and under contract to match both immediate needs and long-term goals.

For Boston, it starts with swing-and-miss.In recent years before the arrival of Crochet, the Red Sox lacked a true top-rotation pitcher who misses bats and stays healthy.Peralta provides that right away.

His fastball works at the top of the zone and consistently frustrates hitters. His slider is the type of put-away pitch that wins games in October. Boston needs a pitcher like this for high-leverage innings. In a division built on offense, this type of arm is crucial.

Beyond the raw stuff, Peralta’s track record shows he’s reached a point in his career with minimal fluctuations. He’s learned to pitch when his command isn’t perfect and to find a rhythm when a pitch isn’t there. The Red Sox have plenty of intriguing young arms, but few with that consistency. Pairing Peralta with Crochet and Gray gives the rotation more balance. Now, innings are no longer a weekly uncertainty, meaning that bullpen stays fresher all season long.

Contractually, Peralta is a free agent after the 2026 season, where he’s owed only $8 million at 29 years old. Having won double-digit games in three of the last four years, he’s in-line for a big pay day after next season. If Fenway Sports Group is serious about being willing to pay the CBT, they’d be willing to make this move with the idea of extending him at some point shortly-thereafter.

What truly ties it all together is fit. He’s coachable, adaptable, and brings a competitive edge that resonates in Boston. On a team that has lacked a pitching identity, he could help define one.For a franchise aiming to win now and build for tomorrow, few opportunities match better than Freddy Peralta.

He might end up being expensive, but worth it.

Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground coverage of all things Boston sports. He's a senior digital content producer for WEEI.com, and a native of Lincoln, RI.