The Mets have traded southpaw David Peterson to the Cubs, Jeff Passan of ESPN reports. In return, the Mets are receiving minor league infielder Cole Mathis from Chicago, according to Will Sammon of The Athletic.
Peterson has appeared in 16 games (eight starts) for the Mets this season, struggling to a 6.09 ERA with 63 strikeouts against 30 walks in 68 innings. The Cubs, who have taken the first three games of their series in Flushing, recently lost hurlers Edward Cabrera and Ben Brown to the injured list. They have been without the trio of Matthew Boyd, Jameson Taillon and Justin Steele for most of the year.
Peterson is set to hit free agency at the end of the season. He finishes his Mets tenure with a 40-36 record and a 4.31 ERA over six seasons. A first-round pick out of the University of Oregon in 2017, Peterson debuted in 2020, posting a solid 3.44 ERA in 49 2/3 innings. He dealt with injuries and inconsistency over the next few seasons, but enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2024 following offseason hip surgery. The lefty made 21 starts and posted a strong 2.90 ERA with 101 strikeouts against 46 walks in 121 innings, then continued to perform well in the postseason. Most notably, Peterson recorded the save in the Mets’ decisive Game 3 win over the Brewers in the Wild Card Series. All told, he allowed four earned runs in 12 1/3 innings, helping the Mets come within two wins of the World Series. In 2025, Peterson made the All-Star Game thanks to a sparkling first half, but faltered to a 6.34 ERA in the second half of the season.
As for Mathis, he was a second-round pick by the Cubs out of the College of Charleston in 2024. He’s enjoying the best season of his professional career in 2026, batting .272/.396/.585 with 10 homers and 12 doubles over 182 plate appearances between Single-A and High-A. He is ranked as the No. 13 prospect in the Cubs’ farm system by MLB Pipeline and the No. 9 prospect in the system by Baseball America. Mathis has primarily played first base this season, though he has also played five games at third base.
