3 Best MLB Trade Deadline Fits For Mets Starter Freddy Peralta

Straight-up: This season hasn't been Freddy Peralta's best work. But he's also better than this.

In what's his first season with the New York Mets, Peralta owns a career-worst — over a full season — ERA (4.99), WHIP (1.48) and ERA+ (83). At the same time, Peralta, a two-time All-Star, is just a season removed from the best year of his career (2.70 ERA, 5.5 wins above replacement and a 155 ERA+). While set to be a free agent at the end of the year, Peralta is capable of being a top-of-the-rotation force that moves the needle for a starting rotation and is worth making a trade for.

Here are the three best trade fits for Peralta.

Freddy Peralta earned an All-Star nod in 2021 and 2025. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)

Bryce Harper said it himself: the Phillies, who have lost seven of their last eight games and now own a mere 1.5-game lead on the third National League wild-card seed, "need some help." Acquiring Peralta would suffice.

Philadelphia's starting rotation has been respectable this season. Cristopher Sánchez (2.73 ERA, a 165 ERA+ and an NL-high 5.6 wins above replacement among pitchers) will likely be a finalist for the NL Cy Young Award; Zack Wheeler (2.53 ERA and 0.92 WHIP) is on top of his game since returning from the injured list; Jesús Luzardo (157 strikeouts and a .230 opponent batting average) continues to be a sturdy force every fifth day.

After those three starters, though, the Phillies have received inconsistent performance from their rotation, with veteran Aaron Nola having a discouraging season (5.61 ERA) and former first-round pick Andrew Painter being sent down in June (7.06 ERA and 1.66 WHIP), among other shortcomings. Peralta, who averaged 204.7 strikeouts per season from 2023-25, would fortify