The MLB trade deadline is heating up as another big name is off the board. The New York Mets are sending Freddy Peralta to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for Aidan Smith, Emilien Pitre, and Gary Gill Hill. After only one starting pitcher was moved last deadline, we have already seen three big-name pitchers moved before the deadline. In fact, two of the top three available starters are off the board, making it much harder for pitching-needy teams to address the rotation. But why did the Rays and Mets agree to this deal?
Making Sense of the Freddy Peralta Deal
The Rays Perspective
The Rays have a real shot at the American League East this season. They’re currently 65-45 and have a 3.5-game lead over the New York Yankees. To make this push, they felt the best way to get an advantage was to build a strong rotation. They already had Drew Rasmussen, Nick Martinez, and Shane McClanahan headlining the rotation. But McClanahan was just put on the IL for a back issue, and it is unknown how much time he will miss. Peralta, at the very least, is insurance in case McClanahan misses an extended period of time. But ideally the Rays want those four to be their rotation for the rest of the season and the postseason.
Peralta is in the middle of the worst season of his career. In 113 2/3 innings, he has a 4.99 ERA with 113 strikeouts to 48 walks, a 1.478 WHIP, and an ERA+ of 83. But if the Rays do one thing right, it’s resurrecting a struggling pitcher’s career. It’s possible Peralta goes back to the pitcher he was in Milwaukee once he puts the Rays uniform on. He needs to find a way to be more effective with his fastball. It has been his bread-and-butter pitch throughout his career. But this season it has been hit around, with a .270 batting average against and a 4.29 slugging percentage against. It’s a risky move, but worth it if he can figure it out.
The Mets Perspective
This is not what the Mets had in mind when they first started shopping Peralta. Sure, they were never gonna get what they gave up to get him. But the rumors were they wanted at least one top 100 prospect and other pieces. But Peralta’s poor performance this season definitely hurt his value. What team will want to trade a valuable piece of their future for a guy they have under control for two months and who has struggled? Sure, he has a good track record, but that can only buy you so much. So the Mets decided to pivot and went for a quantity-over-quality approach. They got as many young players who are close to the majors as possible.
The main piece of this deal is Smith. He was the 15th overall prospect in the Rays system according to MLB Pipeline. He has been praised for his fielding and base-running abilities. He also seems to have a little bit of pop in his bat. Pitre was the 27th prospect in the Rays system and currently has an OPS of .943 in 37 Double-A games. He has good contact ability plus a great knowledge of the strike zone. While he is primarily a second baseman, he is versatile enough to play shortstop. Finally, Gill Hill was the 26th prospect for the Rays. He can throw six pitches and has great command. He can be a mid-to-back-end rotation starter.
