MLB trade deadline: Mets pull plug on Freddy Peralta, deal him to Rays
The New York Mets have seen enough of Freddy Peralta. Six months after acquiring the starting pitcher in one of the splashiest moves of the offseason, the Mets are dealing him to the Tampa Bay Rays at the MLB trade deadline, according to multiplereports.
The Rays are reportedly sending prospects Aidan Smith, Emilien Pitre and Gary Gill Hill to the Mets, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. Smith is MLB Pipeline’s No. 15 Rays prospect.
The deal is a pure rental, as the 30-year-old Peralta is set to hit free agency this winter. After the Rays missed out on Tarik Skubal, who’s headed to the Dodgers, Peralta will join a starting rotation that includes Shane McClanahan, Drew Rasmussen and Nick Martinez.
Peralta was supposed to be the headliner of the Mets' new look rotation after last year's disappointment, in which New York won only 83 games and missed the playoffs. This year's team would now be lucky to reach 83 games, and Peralta's performance is a major reason why.
Previously a dependable starter for the Milwaukee Brewers who had a career year in 2025, Peralta was roughly a replacement-level player for the Mets. He has taken a step back in nearly every statistic and has come to symbolize just how badly things have become under president of baseball operations David Stearns.
No one is more aware of that situation than Peralta, who said he likely made his final Mets start last Sunday and said he had let the team down:
"I know it probably is," the 30-year-old Peralta said. "But I have to focus and keep giving the best of myself. And if it happens, it happens. I'm thankful and grateful to be part of this organization. I know that, so far, I've let them down. I haven't done what I'm supposed to do. But I'm grateful to be here."
Now, Peralta can only hope a change of scenery will revive his chances at a significant contract in free agency. He will certainly be one of the players with the most to prove for the final two months of the season.
