The New York Mets face a looming deadline to turn around their dismal season, and two top pitchers could be on the chopping block if they fail at getting back on track.
The Mets have faced increasing trade speculation around Freddy Peralta, their big offseason addition who was expected to hold down the rotation for a World Series contender. The Mets have instead fallen to the bottom of the MLB, leading to rumors that Peralta and another top pitcher could be on the chopping block.
Clay Holmes Could Join Freddy Peralta on the Trade Block
As Mike Axisa of CBS Sports reported, the Mets are already crafting plans to trade Peralta if they can’t climb out of the MLB basement by the start of June.
“The thriving Chicago Cubs are among the teams to discuss a trade for righty Freddy Peralta with the disappointing New York Mets, reports 670 The Score,” Axisa noted. “The Mets are said to be targeting June 1 to either get back into the race or pivot to selling at the trade deadline. New York enters play Friday with baseball’s worst record at 14-23. They’re 6 ½ games out of a wild-card spot.”
Axisa added that the 30-year-old Peralta is a free agent after the end of this season, and the Mets will likely want to recoup some of the price they paid to land him in a trade this offseason.
But Axisa also predicted the Mets could start something of a fire sale, offering their other top pitcher for trade as well.
“If the Mets do indeed make Peralta available, they would almost certainly make righty Clay Holmes available as well,” Axisa wrote. “Holmes has outpitched Peralta this year and can opt out of his contract after the season, which he would very likely do given his $12 million salary for 2027. For all intents and purposes, Holmes is a rental like Peralta.”
Mets Facing Dire Situation
The Mets came into the season with hopes of returning to the playoffs and competing for a pennant, but they have instead sunk to the bottom of the MLB. The team has faced calls to bring up young standouts A.J. Ewing and Nick Morabito — including broadcasters Gary Cohen and Keith Hernandez — but SNY’s Chelsea Janes warns against any dire moves that could slow their development.
“I think the main concern with bringing up either of those guys is rushing them: Morabito has only been in Triple-A since Opening Day, and Ewing only has 12 games there (though he is hitting .326 with an .827 OPS, so he seems to have adjusted quickly),” Janes wrote. “Their numbers are good, yes. But as we saw with Carson Benge early in the year, the jump from Triple-A pitching to major league pitching is substantial and requires time for adjustment.”
If the pair can’t make an immediate impact, it could throw a wrench in plans to bring them up permanently, Janes added.
“The risk in calling up Ewing and/or Morabito would be that they are called upon to help a struggling team, find themselves unable to do so, and need to be sent back down with less confidence as the big-league team continues to flounder,” Janes wrote.
Mets Predicted to Trade Another Top Pitcher Amid Freddy Peralta Rumors