The New York Mets have been talked about constantly in the MLB rumor mill over the last couple of weeks.
Last week, all of the rumors had to do with the team’s pursuit of superstar free agent outfielder Kyle Tucker. Shortly after missing out on Tucker to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Mets pivoted to signing former Toronto Blue Jays star shortstop Bo Bichette, who will play third base in New York.
Since the Bichette signing, the talk surrounding the Mets has been about star free agent outfielder Cody Bellinger. New York is a big player in Bellinger’s market and could sign him as well.
However, there is another rumor that has been floating around. With the Mets needing starting pitching help, a trade for Milwaukee Brewers star Freddy Peralta has been talked about.
According to a report from MLB insider Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, New York is absolutely involved in discussions for Peralta.
“They’re in the mix for Freddy Peralta,” Rosenthal said.
“They’re in the mix for Freddy Peralta,” says @Ken_Rosenthal.
Freddy Peralta Is Exactly What the New York Mets Need
Every team is always interested in adding more offense. That being said, the Mets need starting pitching more than another bat.
Peralta is exactly the kind of piece that New York needs to become a much more serious contender in 2026. After the year he put together with the Brewers in 2025, his market has become quite robust. The Mets will need to be very aggressive if they want to land him.
Throughout the course of the 2025 season with Milwaukee, Peralta made 33 starts. He compiled a 17-6 record to go along with a 2.70 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP, a 3.1 K/BB ratio, and 176.2 innings pitched. Peralta is an ace level pitcher.
New York needs an ace. If the team wants to win a World Series, it can’t afford to go into the season without a true No. 1 starter. That makes Peralta and obvious top priority.
Exiting the offseason by adding Bichette, Bellinger, and Peralta would be a massive win for the Mets. That will not be easy to do, but it’s certainly on the table right now.
The Mets Should Still Try to Add Cody Bellinger as Well
While Peralta should be higher on the priority list than Bellinger, New York should try to add both. Both players would be big steps in the direction of contention.
Bellinger is coming off of a 2025 season with the New York Yankees that saw him hit 29 home runs, drive in 98 RBI, and slash .272/.334/.480 across 152 games.
With the Mets having such a high level of interest in signing Tucker, a pivot to Bellinger would make perfect sense. He’s the ultimate consolation prize for a team like New York.
It will be interesting to see what the Mets are able to get done throughout the rest of the MLB offseason. Peralta should be priority No. 1 with Bellinger right behind him at No. 2. Should New York be able to find a way to sign both, the franchise would exit the offseason as a big-time winner across all of baseball.
Mets Connected to Blockbuster Trade Amid Cody Bellinger Rumors