May might seem like an unusual month to ponder the trade deadline, but for the New York Mets, it’s anything but. As the team currently sits with one of the worst records in baseball and 12 players on the injured list, the deadline is about the only event that fans have to look forward to.
An obvious trade candidate is Freddy Peralta, who is an impending free agent. The question is, where could he go?
Freddy Peralta to the Arizona Diamondbacks?
To throw a wrench into the storied Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres rivalry, the Diamondbacks are going to have to bolster their starting rotation. Outside of Eduardo Rodriguez and Michael Soroka, the rotation has been a disaster.
Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, and Ryne Nelson hold a combined 4.88 ERA. Nelson holds the most innings out of the trio, with 60.
While Peralta has his issues, namely his lack of going deep into starts, he’s a better option than what Arizona has in the middle to back end of their rotation. His 3.52 ERA would fit right in behind Rodriguez and Soroka, and could allow the D-Backs to push one of their current starters into the bullpen if need be.
What About the San Diego Padres?
Sticking with the NL West, the Padres make a ton of sense to be in the Peralta market. Michael King and Randy Vasquez have been a good one-two punch, but aside from that, it’s been a struggle on the mound. Many of their regular starters are on the injured list, including Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta, who don’t yet have an official timeline for return, although the hope is that they can return for the stretch run.
In the meantime, they have to compete with a potential dynasty in the making in the Dodgers, so they may not be able to wait that long. Peralta could give them the pitching they need come trade deadline time.
As for what a return could look like for the Mets, that’s where it gets a bit more complicated. Due to the trades the Padres have made in recent years, their farm system has taken a hit.
MLB.com had San Diego’s system ranked dead last in its preseason farm system rankings. That’s not to say there’s no talent left, but if the Mets and Padres were to make a deal, chances are some of the Mets’ return would come from the big-league club.
Do the Toronto Blue Jays Want Peralta?
Much like San Diego, the Blue Jays’ starting staff has been hit hard by injuries. Seven starting pitchers sit on the injured list. Dylan Cease shouldn’t be out too long with a mild hamstring strain, and Shane Bieber just started a rehab assignment, with no return date set in stone.
With that being said, the Blue Jays could certainly use an additional starter. In the ultra-competitive AL East, pitching is everything. The Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees have proved that.
Adding Peralta to a rotation that could include Bieber, Cease, and Trey Yesavage should be an enticing possibility for Toronto. For the Mets, they’d be dealing with a higher-ranked farm system than both Arizona and San Diego. The Mets’ youth movement this season has shown their desire for young talent, so that’s an important factor.
Why Can’t the Mets Keep Peralta?
Taking into account Peralta’s word about his desire for a “seven or eight” year contract, it’s very unlikely that David Stearns would be willing to oblige. Besides the Juan Soto 15-year deal, Stearns rarely gives any sort of length in his free agent contracts. This is especially true with starting pitchers.
Aside from Stearns and Peralta’s gap in a potential contract, there is something to be said about Peralta’s aforementioned short starts. In his 11 starts this season, he has only had four where he pitched six or more innings. While it’s true that pitchers nowadays don’t throw nearly as many innings as they used to, teams still need their ace to go somewhat deep into games, and Freddy Peralta has been unable to do that so far in Queens.
Leave a comment