The New York Mets acquired Freddy Peralta from the Milwaukee Brewers in the offseason, hoping he could be the ace they needed.
Peralta has struggled this year, and with an expiring contract, he is a prime trade candidate. He has two career All-Star selections, and Jeff Passan noted earlier this week that the Mets have discussed a Peralta trade with the Brewers. However, those talks may not be too far along, per MLB insider Jon Heyman.
"Not much traction so far in Peralta-back-to-the-Brewers talks," Heyman reported on Wednesday. "Fluid situation but multiple other teams are more involved now. Some teams believe Peralta’s off year is partly the fault of the Mets (and Mets defense), which may help the Mets."
Peralta has a 4.99 ERA in 22 starts this season. The fact that other teams think it's the organization's fault that his numbers are not great actually gives him some more trade value. His FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) is not far off from his FIP in 2024 for the Brewers, a season in which he had a 3.68 ERA and 200 strikeouts.
Peralta has postseason experience and is a very durable pitcher. The nine-year veteran is viewed as a clubhouse positive and could help any contending rotation if they can get him back on the right track. Teams interested in Peralta have to feel like they can get his fastball back to being as effective as it was in Milwaukee.
Obviously, if any team is going to feel confident in their ability to do that, it would be the Brewers. They have built a reputation for fixing pitchers, and Peralta is a pitcher who they already know how to work with.