When it comes to the MLB Trade Deadline on Aug. 3, many are wondering whether the Los Angeles Dodgers will make a major move. The speculation regarding the reigning back-to-back World Series champions is whether they will make a move for Tarik Skubal.
However, could the Dodgers consider another rental starting pitcher, given that Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow are currently on the injured list? New York Mets‘ Freddy Peralta is the other high-profile starter who could be on the move before the deadline.
If New York decides to sell, Will Laws and Nick Selbe of Sports Illustrated believe the Dodgers are among the teams that best fit the veteran starting pitcher.
“With the Mets languishing in last place, Peralta’s time in Queens could be brief,” Laws and Selbe wrote in a June 19 article. “While the right-hander has been far from New York’s biggest issue, his production has fallen off a bit from what it was with the Brewers.
“His strikeout rate is down to 22.7%—barely above league average and well below his career mark of 29.9% prior to this season—while his ERA and FIP are his worst since becoming a full-time starter in 2021.
“Peralta is still stable enough to be a reliable option for a contending team to start in a playoff series, but expectations are lower than what they were when the Mets dealt two top prospects for him in January.”
Peralta is 5-6 with an ERA of 4.83 and 83 strikeouts in 16 appearances this season, per StatMuse. As a result, it will be interesting to see what the Mets would want for a player who is a few months away from free agency.
Could Mets Decide to Hold Onto Freddy Peralta
Moreover, Laws and Selbe believe there’s also a possibility the Mets hold on to Peralta if a potential team, such as the Dodgers, doesn’t make an offer they’re looking for. New York could decide to let the veteran pitcher walk in free agency and take the compensatory pick.
“Another consideration here is that if the Mets don’t trade him and he signs elsewhere this offseason, the best compensatory pick they could get would be after the fourth round in next year’s draft because of their luxury tax status,” Laws and Selbe added in their article.
Dodgers Insider Gives Latest on Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow
If Glasnow or Snell or both have any slip-up in their recovery, it would make sense for the Dodgers to pursue a pitcher like Peralta, who wouldn’t cost as much as Skubal.
In a June 18 video from the “Dodgers Collective” podcast, The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya said that Los Angeles remains optimistic that Snell and Glasnow will have an impact this season.
“I think [the Dodgers] obviously have confidence, not just that they’ll get back, but also that they have enough time to figure it out and get back into a groove,” Ardaya
“There’s a lot of faith and trust, especially in a guy like Blake Snell, who has clearly come back from injury before and gotten better as seasons have gone on. That’s the guy you trust in that spot.”
Dodgers Get Bold Trade Deadline Take on Mets SP Freddy Peralta