Early this offseason, the Boston Red Sox were many times named an ideal fit for Milwaukee Brewers trade candidate Freddy Peralta.
After the Red Sox's early Wild Card elimination, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow was clear about his plans for the rotation, which required another top arm or two to compete with the best teams in the American League. Trading for Peralta to pair with Garrett Crochet at the top of the rotation would've been an excellent way for the Red Sox to assert themselves over their rivals, but their many pitching moves had been made by the time Milwaukee traded its ace.
The New York Mets traded for Peralta and Tobias Myers late on January 21 in exchange for shortstop prospect Jett Williams and righty pitcher Brandon Sproat, formerly the Mets' No. 3 and No. 5 prospects, respectively.
Boston could've put together a similar package to deal for Peralta if it didn't make its other pitching moves first. However, there's room for argument that the moves Breslow did make could be better for a few reasons.
Red Sox's rotation would've been fierce with Freddy Peralta in it, but their offseason strategy could be just as good
Peralta is an excellent pitcher and a true ace who would undeniably help the Red Sox if they landed him instead of New York. He posted a 2.70 ERA, a 1.075 WHIP, 204 strikeouts and 66 walks over 176.2 innings in 2025. His body of work in the first half earned him his second All-Star nomination and he placed fifth in National League Cy Young Award voting.
But the Red Sox have their bona fide ace in Crochet, and instead of trading for Peralta, they added three additional arms to boost their depth as well as their skill. Boston traded Richard Fitts and top pitching prospect Brandon Clarke to the St. Louis Cardinals for Sonny Gray, sent top outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Johan Oviedo and signed Ranger Suárez to the club's longest free agent contract since 2023.
The Red Sox had more than enough pitching depth to make the trades they made and enough to add another infielder on the trade market (although none fit as well as Alex Bregman would've, but that's in the past). They still have enough depth to account for any injuries that may occur throughout the year without any huge losses (unless Crochet falls injured). Boston's fifth rotation spot still seems pretty up for grabs with Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford, Patrick Sandoval, Kyle Harrison, Payton Tolle, Connelly Early and maybe David Sandlin and other top pitching prospects among the options. The rest will be excellent depth.
Crochet and Peralta would've been a terrifying tandem at the top of the Sox's rotation, but rather than making one massive trade for another ace, they decided to spread the wealth around the rotation. The major league depth they've added could end up being their savior without the high-profile bat they hoped for and as injuries and exhaustion throughout the coming campaign.