Why Mets should trade Freddy Peralta if 2026 season continues to go south

Why Mets should trade Freddy Peralta if 2026 season continues to go south originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The New York Mets are sitting at the bottom of the National League East and the NL overall. It's been a disaster this season, and things don't look like they'll get better any time soon.

And if things continue to go south, it would hardly be a surprise if the Mets wound up as sellers with some of their one-year rentals like Luis Robert Jr., Bo Bichette, and Freddy Peralta.

Of those possible trade candidates, the one the Mets should look to trade more than others is Peralta, the frontline starter. But why? USA Today's Bob Nightengale highlighted why Peralta should be on the move, and it's some sound reasoning.

Why Mets should trade Freddy Peralta

"They could re-engage before the trade deadline, but if they don't reach a deal, why not get something for him now?" Nightengale writes.

This reasoning makes a lot of sense. Peralta was acquired for a hefty price from the Milwaukee Brewers over the offseason in a deal headlined by Brandon Sproat.

Peralta is a good starting pitcher and would be very valuable for a contender this season. However, he's in the final year of his contract and will become a free agent this upcoming offseason.

If the Mets aren't a contender by the deadline, and their extension talks don't look to be going anywhere, trading Peralta would make the most sense.

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Instead of the risk of losing him in free agency for little to nothing in return, it would make sense for the Mets to trade him at the deadline to some other contender like the Chicago Cubs or San Diego Padres and get something back.

While it would be a sign of the 2026 season being a failure, the worst-case scenario would be missing the postseason in 2026 and seeing Peralta walk in free agency.

The Mets should consider trading Peralta this season if things don't improve, as it makes the most sense from a team-building perspective.

It would hurt their chances this year, but if Peralta isn't going to sign an extension, and the Mets are out of the postseason race, there's little reason to keep him on the roster.