The Chicago Cubs exist in a bigger market and invest more in their roster than the Milwaukee Brewers.
That hasn't stopped the Brew Crew from being a thorn in their side in the NL Central Division. In 2025, the Brewers had the best record in the entire National League.
That'll be tougher for Milwaukee to repeat in 2026, though, after a blockbuster trade on Wednesday night.
The Brewers have sent ace Freddy Peralta to the New York Mets for promising youngsters Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat.
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The deal might work out just fine for Milwaukee in the long term.
In the short term, it unquestionably makes them worse. They give up Peralta coming off a season in which the right-hander had a 2.70 ERA.
Peralta will be a free agent after the season, which is why the Brewers did the trade.
The Cubs now have to take advantage.
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Chicago still has a stellar roster even with the loss of Kyle Tucker in free agency.
And they signed Alex Bregman to pretty much make up for that.
Milwaukee will be there at the end, because that's just what the Brewers do.
But the pendulum swung in the Cubs' favor on Wednesday night, and it's up to them to keep it that way.
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