Former New York Mets pitcher Freddy Peralta held a meeting between Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor to help them clear the air.
The Mets have had an awful season this year, as the team is 48-66, putting them dead last in the National League East.
The players have been frustrated, which is understandable given the team’s poor results, and there have been inklings that Soto and Lindor have not seen eye-to-eye with each other.
That’s why Peralta called a meeting to help broker any tensions between the two Mets’ stars.
Freddy Peralta Initiated Meeting Between Soto, Lindor
According to ESPN’s Jorge Castillo, Peralta called a meeting earlier this year between Soto and Lindor to help the two teammates clear the air due to tension between the two players.
“With tension lingering into their second season as teammates, multiple sources told ESPN that Peralta in June arranged for the two stars to vent and work through their disconnect. Since then, sources told ESPN, Lindor and Soto’s relationship has been noticeably warmer, with the players interacting more often. ‘It was as men, not baseball players,’ a source said of the meeting,” wrote Castillo.
According to Castillo, Peralta confirmed that the meeting took place, though he did not provide any details of what was said.
Lindor also confirmed the meeting, saying that, “It was more of a conversation like we always have with our group of Latinos. But I don’t want to comment on the details.”
Soto, however, denied that there was a meeting, though the superstar admitted that he has a better relationship with Lindor this season.
“There was no meeting, no discussion. This year has been better. We’ve gotten along very well. We’ve learned from each other,” Soto said.
Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns did not comment when ESPN asked him about the reported meeting between his two star players.
Freddy Peralta Sent to Tampa Bay Rays
At the MLB trade deadline, the Mets traded Peralta to the Tampa Bay Rays for outfielder Aidan Smith, right-hander Gary Gill Hill, and infielder Emilien Pitre.
Peralta was acquired by New York from the Milwaukee Brewers in an offseason trade as the Mets were hoping that they would have acquired a new Cy Young-caliber starter to front their rotation.
Unfortunately for both the player and the team, Peralta just didn’t work out in New York, as he was hit up for a 4.99 ERA in 22 starts for the Mets. With him being a free agent following this season, the Mets decided that they would trade him, and the Rays were the team that called and offered the three prospects that New York wanted.
Now that he is in Tampa Bay, Peralta will have a chance to win the World Series, as the Rays are one of the very best teams in baseball.
But even though things did not work out for him in New York, he did give the team one final parting gift, which was calling the meeting between Soto and Lindor to ease tensions between the two.
Freddy Peralta Held Meeting With Juan Soto & Francisco Lindor