As Freddy Peralta gets a change of scenery with the Rays, what are the Mets getting in return?
After losing the Tarik Skubal sweepstakes, Tampa Bay pivoted swiftly, acquiring arguably the second-best hurler on the free-agent market. It has been a bizarre, disappointing season for Freddy Peralta, who joined the Mets via trade from Milwaukee last winter to great fanfare. The righty was coming off a strong half-decade of performance for the Brewers. He was expected to lead the line for a Mets club with high expectations and a higher payroll.
Instead, Peralta became one of the many faces of a most woeful few months in Queens. After rocking a 3.30 ERA between 2021 and 2026, the gregarious Dominican slogged to a 4.99 across 22 forgettable starts with the Mets. His strikeout rate has dipped, he’s giving up more hard contact, and he’s conjuring way fewer whiffs.
Most concerningly, to a layman’s eye, it’s difficult to pinpoint why exactly such a dependable arm took such a definitive step back. Peralta’s stuff is only slightly down. His mix hasn’t changed. His arm angle has dropped just slightly. It’s a weird one. And it’s now Tampa Bay’s responsibility to carry. Given the organization’s track record of pitching development, nobody would be surprised if pitching coach Kyle Snyder and his staff get Peralta back on track. They’ve done more with less many times over.
Given Tampa Bay’s status atop the mess that is the American League in 2026, this was a deal they absolutely had to make. The Rays have about as clear a path to the pennant as they’ve had for quite some time. Opportunities such as this don’t come knocking often. Peralta will slot right into their rotation, replacing the recently injured Shane McClanahan, and should start the second or third playoff game come October.
Should the Rays have been more involved in Skubal? Probably. A bit more aggression could have gone a long way. But at least they aren’t completely sitting on their hands. Peralta, even this diminished version, makes them better. And if the Rays can make the necessary tweaks, this could be a real game-changer come playoff time. — Mintz
Grading the return for the Mets: B-
Pitre is a wonderfully fun player, a Québécois who starred in the SEC at Kentucky and has continued to be an on-base machine since entering pro ball. His overall impact is capped by a lack of raw power and the likelihood that he's only a second baseman, but his excellent plate discipline and contact skills from the left side and his plus speed on the basepaths have him tracking like a useful utility player at worst. And if his pure hit tool proves to be near elite at the highest level, the way it has in the minors this year, he could be a low-end regular at the keystone. He was promoted to Double-A last month and could be in the mix to debut at some point in 2027.
Hill is now a cool homecoming story, having grown up in Westchester County. His development has been a slow burn since he was drafted out of high school in 2022. After a successful full season in High-A in 2025, Hill pitched for Team Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic and has spent most of this season in Double-A. His calling card is his command and a really good slider, but he has struggled to find consistent whiffs as he has climbed the minor-league ladder, especially with his low-to-mid-90s fastball. The Mets have done quite well developing pitchers lately, so don't be surprised if Hill takes a leap under their tutelage, but it could take some time before he becomes a factor in Queens.
A strong pro debut in the Mariners’ organization after being drafted out of a Texas high school in 2023 prompted Smith's inclusion in the Randy Arozarena trade at the 2024 deadline, but the righty-hitting outfielder has stagnated somewhat since joining the Rays organization. The selling point remains that he's a plus runner with above-average power who has a chance to stick in center field, but consistent production has been lacking, and he's striking out way too much at present. He just turned 22 and has yet to reach Double-A, so this is New York buying low on a promising athlete, rather than a safe bet to develop into a big-league contributor the way Pitre is trending. — Shusterman
