Outside of Tarik Skubal, the clear top free-agent arm available this offseason, there is perhaps no hotter name on the market than Freddy Peralta. Entering 2026, it seemed like Peralta was set to cash in on a big deal in his free agency, but he ran into some speed bumps along the way. Peralta was dealt from Milwaukee to the Mets last offseason, and he struggled to a 4.99 ERA in 22 starts with New York. Peralta hoped a deadline trade to the Rays would round him back into form, and it seems to have worked. But is a rough outing in World Series Game 3 enough to deter teams from spending big to add Peralta?
In his recent Top 40 free agents post, MLB insider Jim Bowden predicted that Freddy Peralta would land a five-year, $140 million contract, the second largest contract of any pitcher on the market. I’ve circled Peralta as an arm I’m interested in the White Sox pursuing for a bit now, and my opinion of him doesn’t change much based on one rough start, but I’d be surprised if the White Sox are willing to pony up $140 million for a pitcher, even one with frontline upside like Peralta.
Freddy Peralta pounds his chest after completing 6 scoreless innings 😤 pic.twitter.com/NwJsrLfpjX
— MLB (@MLB) October 14, 2026
White Sox could make Freddy Peralta highest paid pitcher in franchise history
A $140 commitment would be more than double the largest contract the White Sox have ever given a pitcher, and nearly double their largest for any player. The current honor belongs to lefty John Danks, who signed a five-year, $65 million extension with the White Sox prior to the 2012 season. That contract didn’t go great for the White Sox, as Danks finished with a 4.92 ERA in 97 starts over the duration of the contract. Since then, the White Sox have been hesitant to pay pitchers long-term deals. That doesn’t mean they haven’t tried. The White Sox were reportedly the highest offer for Zack Wheeler back in 2019, and he ultimately took less money to go to the Phillies due to family considerations. But they’ve never signed a pitcher for near what it would take to sign Peralta, so it’s tough to believe they will now.
In theory, a pursuit would make a ton of sense. Peralta is 30 years-old and in the midst of his prime. The White Sox have a glaring need for reliable starters to pair with Sean Burke in their rotation, and their payroll is relatively low. They could, in theory, sign a guy like Peralta for the $28 million AAV he’s predicted to get and still have plenty of payroll room to operate. Outside of his rough 22 start stretch early this season and a tough outing in the World Series, Peralta has been one of the most consistent starters in baseball over the past few years. With the exception of an injury that held him to 78 innings in 2022, Peralta posted an ERA under 3.90 in every season from 2021 to 2025. He has three seasons with at least 200 strikeouts, and five seasons where he held opponents under a .200 batting average. He’s exactly the type of consistency and upside that the White Sox need in their rotation, and he’s worth paying up for.
It remains to be seen what tier of pitcher the White Sox will target and whether it’ll be on the free agent market, the trade market, or both. But one thing is clear: the White Sox will address their starting rotation this offseason, and they have the financial means to take a big swing if they want to. We’ll see if Chris Getz is up for the task, and gives serious consideration to bringing Freddy Peralta to the South Side.
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