Latest division rival trade rumors could spell long-term trouble for the Cubs

Fresh off of winning back-to-back World Series titles, the Los Angeles Dodgers continue to put the pedal to the metal in a way no team really has. The team that has it all landed the top closer on the market in Edwin Diaz and then hung around long enough to nab former Chicago Cubs superstar Kyle Tucker for a ludicrous four-year, $240 million deal to add to their already vaunted lineup. If they weren't favorites to get the three-peat before, they certainly are now, though their offseason isn't over yet.

If MLB's new evil empire has its way, it will soon shift the entire landscape of the National League Central. The Athletic's Katie Woo confirmed in a new write-up on Tuesday that the Dodgers are very much interested in acquiring Milwaukee Brewers ace Freddy Peralta in a blockbuster deal. Peralta has been dangled as a trade candidate throughout the offseason, given the Brewers' M.O. of offloading stars to keep the churn of young talent going and the fact that the righty only has one year of control remaining. Los Angeles may be interested in offering an extension to keep him around long-term, too.

For the Cubs, that, at first, might seem like cause for cautious celebration. The Dodgers would improve on a pitching staff that already boasts Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Emmet Sheehan, and Roki Sasaki, making the path to a World Series, let alone the National League pennant, even more difficult. However, the obvious benefit is that the Brewers' rotation would be markedly worse on paper. Since 2021, Peralta has been a monster for Milwaukee, coming off arguably his best season yet with a 2.70 ERA and 3.64 FIP in 176 2/3 innings.

The Brewers are already given low odds to repeat in the NL Central, at least relative to the other divisions. With the Cubs adding Alex Bregman and Edward Cabrera while rebuilding the bullpen, they look like a more complete roster right now, especially if Peralta departs. Then again, haven't we had this discussion before? When the Brewers traded Corbin Burnes to the Orioles, and Chicago stole Craig Counsell to be their manager, it sure felt like a departure Milwaukee would struggle to weather. And yet, they easily took the division again, not missing a step without their ace that time, or last year, when they easily topped the Cubs' 92-win season with a franchise-best 97.

Until their process fails, it would be wrong to assume that losing a player of Peralta's caliber would be the blow we think it would be. After all, the Brewers have a plethora of young pitchers waiting in the wings to take the next step, including Jacob Misiorowski and Chad Patrick, who each had quite strong rookie campaigns. This is a team that, annoyingly, always finds a way.

The Dodgers are a nightmare scenario trade partner for the Brewers

Even if their rotation does take a step back briefly, in the long term, a trade between the Brewers and the Dodgers is a potential worst-case scenario for the Cubs. In addition to being baseball's richest team, Los Angeles is also arguably the most aggressive and has the #1 farm system in the eyes of MLB executives. They haven't dipped into that pool of prospects yet this offseason either.

The Brewers got back two very promising young players in Joey Ortiz and DL Hall for a year of Burnes. I shiver to think, however, what the Dodgers might be willing to give up to land one year of Peralta. With a new CBA looming that could fundamentally change the financial landscape of the sport, they may be looking to capitalize on the current salary cap-less system before the coming labor battle. Los Angeles has shown little fear when it comes to losing prospects, and they'd almost certainly be willing and able to give the Brewers the best package of any team to land their prize. Milwaukee is holding all the cards, too, knowing that Peralta gives them the best chance against the Cubs on paper.

The Dodgers have seven Top-100 prospects according to MLB Pipeline, and more on the border like James Tibbs III and River Ryan. With everything accounted for, from postseason implications to the future of the Brewers, an LA deal for Peralta would be about as bad as possible for the Cubs. Whether Milwaukee still has its ace or not, though, Jed Hoyer and company have done enough to ensure the Cubs are in a prime position right now to fight for the NL Central.