Updated Report – May 8 @ 15:52
Bruce Levine has corrected his original report saying the Cubs have NOT talked to the Mets about Freddy Peralta. However, the Cubs are in the market for starting pitching.
Original Report – May 8 @ 15:56
According to 670 The Score’s Bruce Levine, the Mets and Chicago Cubs, among other teams, have held early talks surrounding right-handed starting pitcher Freddy Peralta.
“According to industry sources the Cubs are one of the teams the Mets have talked to about acquiring RHP Freddy Peralta,” Levine reported. “June 1st is a target time for the Mets to either get back into the race or move the soon to be Free agent. Peralta and Craig Counsell share a mutual bond.”
Brad Penner-Imagn Images
To be clear, the Mets have not yet indicated that they will be sellers, hence Levine pointing out that the club has reportedly circled June 1 as the point in time in which they’ll decide what path to take for the remainder of the season.
New York has won four of its last six games, all of which have come on the road against the Los Angeles Angels and Colorado Rockies. Even so, the team is tied with the San Francisco Giants for the worst record in the league at 14-23.
Peralta has pitched well for the Mets after coming over in an offseason trade from the Milwaukee Brewers that sent Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams the other way, posting a 3.12 ERA and 43 strikeouts across eight starts totaling 43 1/3 innings thus far.
The 29-year-old will reach free agency after the 2026 season concludes, however, and if New York can’t play its way back into the playoff race, he could find himself on the move as one of the top arms available ahead of the August 3 trade deadline.
The Mets officially announced their second half gate giveaways today, which includes a Peralta bobblehead on July 25 and a Peralta replica jersey on August 19.
