The list of teams monitoring Mets right-hander Freddy Peralta now includes the Padres and Diamondbacks. Both clubs had scouts at Citi Field when Peralta faced the Dodgers on Sunday, per Will Sammon of The Athletic. The Rays, Brewers, and Phillies are among the teams known to also be in on Peralta.
Manager Andy Green told reporters on Thursday, including Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, that Peralta will make his scheduled start tomorrow (unless he’s dealt before then). It’ll be his final showcase before the Monday deadline. Friday’s outing against the Marlins is unlikely to shift the perception of Peralta completely, but inquiring teams could be a bit more interested if he can put together a solid start.
Peralta is enduring one of the worst seasons of his career on the eve of free agency. He’s posted a 4.99 ERA across 22 starts. His ERA estimators paint a better picture, but not by much. Peralta has a 4.28 xFIP and a 4.31 SIERA. He’s striking out fewer than a batter per inning for the first time in his nine-year career.
Despite the dip in production, Peralta’s arsenal looks to be mostly intact. His fastball is averaging 94.2 mph, which is slightly down from 2025, but not far off his career norm. The righty’s Stuff+ is down to 96, which is his worst mark, but again, not way behind his recent work (99 in each of the previous two seasons). A change of scenery or a slight adjustment could be all Peralta needs to get back on track.
San Diego is a logical destination for Peralta. The Padres are in desperate need of rotation help. After Michael King and Walker Buehler, they’ve been hacking together three spots with a group that includes JP Sears, Griffin Canning, German Marquez, Randy Vasquez, and Kyle Hart. Even in his current form, Peralta would provide a boost to the unit. San Diego ranks in the bottom five in starting pitcher ERA. A small step forward would vault him just behind King in the rotation. His performance this season and pending free agency should keep the cost down.
The Diamondbacks also make plenty of sense. The club is missing Zac Gallen, Michael Soroka, and Ryne Nelson. Corbin Burnes hasn’t pitched at all this year. Brandon Pfaadt has returned from the minors and pitched well, but Arizona is leaning on youngsters Mitch Bratt and Kohl Drake to round out the staff. The Diamondbacks hold one of the final NL Wild Card spots heading into Thursday. The club opened the week with an important series win over the Pirates.
