Freddy Got Flipped

Happy Trade Deadline Monday! Consider a paid sub? I’ll watch the Met games and recap them so you don’t have to pay attention! Plus there’s always going to be news about the near future. 

Freddy Peralta’s disappointing tenure with the New York Mets is over. He was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays for three minor leaguers yesterday.

Peralta was supposed to be the ace, even just nominally speaking, of a Mets starting rotation that desperately needed one after the second half of the 2025 season. Peralta took the ball on Opening Day and immediately gave up a two-run homer. That was the first sign that Peralta wasn’t going to finish in the top 5 in Cy Young voting again. 

While plenty of theories abound, nobody seems to know why Peralta struggled in New York, most of all Freddy himself. We might have our answer if he succeeds in Tampa Bay the remainder of the season. 

The Mets got OF Aidan Smith, 2B Émilen Pitre, and RHP Gary Gill Hill. They now rank 12th, 15th, and 17th respectively on MLB Pipeline’s top 30 Met prospect list. Sam Dykstra at MLB Pipeline provided brief scouting reports on the young triumvirate.

I’ll add that Gary Gill Hill, in addition to having a grade 80 name, is from New Rochelle, New York, Pitre kinda profiles like Jeff McNeil, and Smith sounds like a right-handed Ryan Clifford (derogatory). 

It’s a decent haul, considering how poorly Peralta has pitched this year and the fact that Steve Cohen did not send cash the Rays’ way in the deal. Tampa Bay is on the hook for the remaining $2+ million. What a world we live in. 

Late last night, Ken Rosenthal revealed that the Mets dealt Huascar Brazobán to the White Sox for two minor league right-handed pitchers: Gabe Davis and Zach Franklin. Davis was ranked the 18th best White Sox prospect in MLB Pipeline. Franklin did not make their Top 30. Davis is listed at 6’9” 234 pounds. He better touch 100 with his fastball and he does. His ETA in The Show is 2028.

The Mets didn’t have to trade Brazo because he’s under team control for another few years, but I understand why they did. The odds that he’ll maintain this excellent pitching in his late 30s are low. But, I mean, the return isn’t much.

The Mets went 0 for 12 with runners in scoring position, ruining Robert Stock’s impressive first MLB start in five years, as they lost 2-0 to Sandy Alcantara and the Miami Marlins.

Stock, who underwent thoracic outlet surgery in March, retired the first six Marlins he faced before Joe Mack reached on an infield hit when Stock didn’t cover first base fast enough. He got the next two batters to pop it up before Liam Hicks singled to center off of him. Stock beared down and struck out Kyle Stowers on a mean changeup to get out of the jam.

Alcantara similarly took care of the first six Mets without a problem. Marcus Semien led off the bottom of the third with a single to right. Then, Alcantara inexplicably walked Jorge Polanco on four pitches. But the Mets couldn’t do anything with that gift. Francisco Alvarez popped it up, AJ Ewing grounded into a fielder’s choice, and Francisco Lindor grounded out to first. 

Stock made his one big mistake in the fifth when Mack took him deep on a 3-2 pitch to put the Marlins on the board 1-0. Ultimately, Stock would throw 70 pitches in five innings, allowing just that one run on three hits. He didn’t walk anybody and struck out four. It was more than you could have asked for from the well-traveled 36-year-old.

Alvy laced a double to right center with two outs in the bottom of the fifth, but Ewing, as part of his disappointing 0 for 5 day, popped it up to the catcher Mack in foul territory.

Alcantara came back out for the seventh even though he was at 92 pitches. This proved to be a mistake by Miami manager Clayton McCullough. Luis Robert Jr. singled to right center in front of Jared Young, who doubled to the left center gap. Robert was held up at third because Alcantara was tiring and hey, it’s runners on second and third with nobody out, surely we’ll score! 

They did not score. After Michael Petersen walked Semien, Polanco struck out on a sinker, Alvy was blown away by a fastball, and Ewing grounded out to second. Bing bang boom. 

In what must be his final appearance as a Met, Brooks Raley threw a 1-2-3 sixth. In what was maybe his final moments as a Metropolitan, Luke Weaver also retired all three batters he faced and needed fewer than 10 pitches to do it. Huascar Brazobán, who earlier was seen dapping up people in the bullpen leading to wild trade speculation (how ironic), handled the eighth. 

Lindor led off the bottom of the eighth with a ringing double to right off of Tyler Zuber. He was left stranded when Bichette flew out to center, Carson Benge grounded out to second, and Robert on the first pitch he saw flew out to left. 

Devin Williams gave up a run in the ninth. With one out, Otto Lopez hit a bouncer that went off of Williams’ thigh and ended up as an infield hit. Lopez stole second, then scored when Xavier Edwards singled to center. 

Pete Fairbanks took the bottom of the ninth. He walked Young on six pitches to start. Semien flew out to center. Polanco struck out looking at a fastball - he’s now 0 for his last 26. Alvarez also walked, pushing Young to second. But that darn kid Ewing innocently flew out to center to end it. 

Weird day.

Robert Stock was understandably emotional after the game.

The Mets claimed C Shawn Ross off waivers from the Pirates. RHP Joey Gerber was DFA'd.

MJ Melendez was also designated for assignment. He must have had an opt out and wasn’t guaranteed a spot on the major league roster even after the trade deadline. 

In addition to Stock, RHP Bryce Conley was called up to the bigs by the Mets before the game. RHP Kevin Herget was designated for assignment and RHP Jonathan Pintaro was sent back to Triple-A. 

The Triple-A Syracuse Mets outlasted the Rochester Red Wings (Orioles affiliate) 9-7. 3B Christopher Morel hit three home runs for six RBI. RHP Tobias Myers got a no-decision for allowing one run on two hits in three innings while walking and striking out two.

The Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies handled the Reading Fightin Phils 9-3. SS Mitch Voit went 4 for 5 with a home run, two doubles, three runs scored, and five RBI. C Chris Suero also went yard. RHP Douglas Orellana got the win despite allowing two runs on three hits in two innings. He walked none and struck out three. 

The High-A Brooklyn Cyclones held on to beat the Winston-Salem Dash (White Sox) 6-5. Clay Holmes ended up making the rehab start after all. He gave up three runs on seven hits in five and one third innings. Holmes walked none and punched out three. 53 of his 73 pitches were for strikes. 3B Andy Ibañez and LF Randy Guzman both went deep for Brooklyn.

The Low-A St. Lucie Mets game against the Dunedin Blue Jays was cancelled due to inclement weather. 

A happy 29th birthday to Luis Robert Jr. His gift? Potentially getting traded to a contender.

No Met game today, but there should be a fair amount of trades made by the team before the deadline at 6pm eastern.