Mets Scratch Freddy Peralta From Start Due To Increasing Trade Interest

Right-hander Freddy Peralta was the scheduled starter for the Mets tonight. However, Joel Sherman of The New York Post reports that he is being scratched from that start as trade interest picks up. Peralta is one of the most straightforward trade candidates this summer. He’s an impending free agent on a Mets club that is clearly in sell mode. They are 47-63 and have already started making moves, having flipped lefty A.J. Minter to the Twins. The Mets could theoretically extend Peralta or hold him and make a qualifying offer at season’s end but neither of those options are likely. Extension talks in the spring appeared to stall out when Peralta was looking for a deal in the eight-year range, while the Mets preferred a short-term pact. Given his struggles this season, the Mets are presumably even less interested in meeting his asking price now. As for the QO option, the Mets are luxury tax payors and would therefore only receive a compensation pick after the fourth round if Peralta rejected the QO and signed elsewhere. Despite his subpar season, they should be able to land something more appealing via trade. Will Sammon and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic report that the Mets are hoping to get a Top 100 prospect in any Peralta deal. Peralta has logged 113 2/3 innings this year with a 4.99 earned run average. His 22.1% strikeout rate, 9.4% walk rate and 40.9% ground ball rate are all average-ish numbers. He probably deserves to have a slightly better ERA. His .313 batting average on balls in play and 68.4% strand rate are both a bit to the unlucky side. His 4.46 FIP and 4.31 SIERA are a bit more pleasant. Even looking at those adjusted metrics, it’s a disappointing campaign for him, as his track record is far better. From 2021 to 2025, he gave Milwaukee 738 1/3 innings with a 3.30 ERA and 29.6% strikeout rate. The Mets made him a key part of their offseason, sending Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams to Milwaukee to get Peralta and Tobias Myers. Peralta isn’t totally to blame for the poor season in Queens but he has been one of the stars in a constellation of disappointment this year. It seems other clubs are willing to bet on the larger track record. Even Peralta’s down year is fairly average, so that’s understandable. If he can get back to his Milwaukee form, that’s enticing upside. The fact that he is only making $8MM this year surely helps, as that only leaves about $2.5MM left to be paid out. Rather than give Peralta the ball tonight and risk injury, the Mets will pull him aside. Perhaps they will get a deal today but they could also drag things out until Monday’s deadline. The Padres, Diamondbacks, Cubs, Brewers, Phillies and Rays have already been connected to the righty. Sammon and Rosenthal, linked above, add Atlanta into the mix. It seems Atlanta is looking for a playoff-caliber starter to slot next to Chris Sale but the intra-division nature of trading with the Mets might complicate matters. In addition to Minter and Peralta, the Mets are likely to trade impending free agents Brooks Raley, Tyrone Taylor, Clay Holmes and Luis Robert Jr. Holmes has a $12MM player option and Robert a $20MM club option but both are trending towards being declined, hence them being considered rentals. Controllable guys like Luke Weaver, Huascar Brazobán, Brett Baty and Sean Manaea are also potentially on the move, while catchers Francisco Alvarez and Luis Torrens are longer-shot possibilities. Chelsea Janes of SNY reports that the Mets are likely to focus more on getting prospects in their trades in the coming days, as opposed to major league-ready players. Photo courtesy of John Jones, Imagn Images