The New York Mets are off to a slow start this season and have already essentially buried themselves in the National League East. They are 15 games back of first place and six back in the wild card race. They were expected to be a much better team than what they have showed so far, but while there is still a lot of time, New York needs to turn things around quickly if it wants to make it to the postseason after narrowly missing out in 2025.
This could lead to New York selling at the trade deadline. That currently seems like the most likely path for the Mets. They have several pieces that they could dangle in trade talks, including right-hander Freddy Peralta, who they acquired in a trade last offseason.
Mike Axisa of CBS Sports lists Peralta as a top trade candidate, and had an unlikely NL West team as a possible suitor: the Arizona Diamondbacks.
“The same teams that pursue (Tarik) Skubal also figure to pursue Peralta, and in some cases Peralta might even be Plan A given his bargain salary,” Axisa writes. “The Cubs have already kicked the tires. For the sake of variety, let’s also list the Diamondbacks and White Sox (!) as potential Peralta destinations.”
What Mets Can Get for Peralta
Because Peralta is a free agent at the end of the year, it makes sense for the Mets to trade him. The Milwaukee Brewers had that same logic when they sent him to New York for prospects in the first place.
But New York has a unique opportunity to bring back some solid prospects. Unfortunately for the Mets, it would be safe to assume that outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt is off limits. He is Arizona’s top prospect according to MLB Pipeline.
But perhaps some other prospects such as Slade Caldwell (No. 3) could be had in a potential return. They can get a lot for Peralta from Arizona, which has a very strong farm system.
This could set the Mets up well for the future. There are also some major league ready prospects such as Tommy Troy, Kohl Drake and Cristian Mena that could help them bounce back into contention as soon as 2027, lockout permitting of course.
Mets Have Already Dug Their Grave for 2026
The Mets could do well for Peralta at the deadline, and it’s clear now that this season is essentially a lost cause for them despite the moves they made to try and improve. The wild card is still a remote possibility for them, but it’s going to take a miracle for them to reach the postseason at this point.
It will be interesting to see how that affects the deadline. They have shown some signs of promise this year, but not enough to be a true contender just yet, so while there is time left in the season, it appears likely that not only will New York miss the postseason, but also choose to sell at the trade deadline instead of buy or stand pat.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Mets’ Freddy Peralta Named Trade Candidate for Unexpected NL Team appeared first on HEAVY.