The New York Mets have already started their fire sale and traded A.J. Minter to the Minnesota Twins.
He is not the only pitcher expected to be dealt, with Freddy Peralta expected to join him soon, among others. Peralta was acquired to lead the Mets' rotation, but has struggled this season. He is on an expiring contract, and teams could be willing to take a chance on him. Many teams reportedly believe his struggles are the Mets' fault.
"The New York Mets are asking teams for a top-100 prospect and more in their early conversations with teams about Freddy Peralta, said people familiar with the discussions who spoke on the condition of anonymity in exchange for candor," wrote The Athletic's Will Sammon and Ken Rosenthal on Friday. "The Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Rays, Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies are among the clubs showing strong interest in Peralta, according to people briefed on the situation. Rotation-needy teams are, however, casting wide nets in their respective searches."
Peralta has a 4.99 ERA, and it is his worst year as a starter. However, he is a two-time All-Star, and many teams likely believe they can get him back on track. Perhaps the shift from a small market like Milwaukee to a big market in New York is also playing a factor in his woes.
A top 100 prospect is a big ask for a rental arm who is having a down year. However, it may be on par with some deals fans saw last year.
"At last year’s deadline, a couple of starting pitchers returned similar value to the Mets’ asking price," The Athletic wrote. "Outfielder James Tibbs III, who went to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Dustin May deal last year, is now a Top 100 prospect. When the Arizona Diamondbacks dealt Merrill Kelly, they received David Hagaman, Mitch Bratt and Kohl Drake, who, respectively, are now their Nos. 3, 9 and 22 prospects, per MLB Pipeline. Both Kelly and May were impending free agents."
May was having a poor year before his trade and netted Tibbs, who was traded for Rafael Devers earlier in the year. Peralta may be able to fetch a top-100 prospect depending on what the rest of the market looks like. There is a chance he is the second-best starter available if some teams decide not to sell.