The Mets keep making moves. After Cody Bellinger returned to the crosstown rival Yankees on Wednesday morning, Mets GM David Stearns kept working the phones and acquired starting pitcher Freddy Peralta from the Milwaukee Brewers.
Peralta was on the block heading into the last year of his deal, and he was one of the biggest dominoes left to fall in the MLB offseason. Now that the Mets have acquired their ace, let’s take a look at the deal.
Freddy Peralta trade details
The Mets moved quickly to win the bidding war. The Dodgers and Yankees were in on Peralta as well, so the Mets had to up the prospect price to get it done. That required Stearns to up the offer, and that was good enough for his former team.
The Mets dealt top prospects Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat to Milwaukee in exchange for Peralta and reliever Tobias Myers.
Peralta, 29, was one of the most valuable pitchers in baseball this past season. The right-hander posted a 2.70 ERA over a career-high 176.2 innings pitched, while striking out 200+ batters for the third straight season. Peralta’s elite fastball-changeup combo leaves even the best hitters spinning. According to Baseball Savant, his Pitching Run Value, 26, ranked in the league’s 97th percentile.
He’s expected to slot in at the top of what could be an excellent Mets pitching rotation. Peralta is joined by former All-Star David Peterson, rising star Nolan McLean, Clay Holmes, and Kodai Senga. They also have Jonah Tong ready to break into the major leagues, with Sean Manaea as veteran depth. You can never have enough pitching, and the Mets know that.
Tobias Myers doesn’t have the name value that Peralta has, but he’s a great addition to New York’s bullpen. The 27-year-old broke in as a starting pitcher for the Brewers, but dominated out of the bullpen last season. In 16 relief appearances, Myers boasted a 1.91 ERA over 28.1 innings. He offers versatility as a swingman option who can deliver multiple innings out of the pen.
Going back to the Brewers, there are two top prospects: Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat. Williams, a 2022 first-round pick and New York’s No. 3 prospect, is primarily a shortstop who can slide over to second base or center field if needed. He hits for contact well and draws a lot of walks, traits that earned him a rapid promotion to Triple-A Syracuse at 21. Williams makes up for his lack of power with speed and athleticism. He fits Milwaukee’s ethos of defense, speed, and getting on base to a tee.
Sproat, 23, may step right into the rotation spot that Peralta leaves behind. He quickly broke into the majors last year for a cup of coffee with the Mets after being rated as their No. 5 prospect. His numbers with Triple-A Syracuse weren’t great, but his stuff is undeniable. Sproat throws six pitches, leaning primarily on a sinker, sweeper, curveball, and changeup. He can also break out a fastball that averages 97 MPH. He’s a great project for the Brewers’ vaunted pitching lab to work on. This deal also hands the Brewers six total top 100 prospects, tied for the most in the majors.
It’s a high price to pay, giving up two top-five prospects for a potential rental. The Mets can spend with the best of them, but a one-year gamble is risky. Still, the Mets need to start winning — especially after last season’s brutal collapse. A top-end starter was the last thing New York needed to cap a pretty successful offseason.
