Freddy Peralta was acquired by the Mets this offseason, with the team hoping he would be their ace. The trade also sent Tobias Myers to Queens along with Peralta, and the Brewers got Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat in the package. It seemed as if the Mets finally got their guy. There were high hopes in Queens; the Mets were seen as contenders going into spring training. Then the season started, and between injuries and a huge losing streak, it has all gone downhill for them. Including their “Ace,” who has been all but underwhelming so far this year.
Mets’ “Ace” Freddy Peralta Has Been A Negative To Start His Tenure
Peralta has been healthy to start the season, starting a league-leading 14 games, but that’s about where the positives end for him. Besides his health, it has just been a down year for the two-time All-Star. His record this season is 4-5 with a 4.04 ERA. Definitely not what the Mets were expecting out of Peralta to start the year. He also has the issue of never going deep into games, which is something he has always dealt with. Between high pitch counts, early inning troubles, and a ton of full counts, the Mets just never seem to get enough length out of him.
In his last five starts, Peralta has an ERA of 5.65 and a 1-2 record. He just hasn’t been leading by example. In his latest start, he was able to get through six innings, but gave up six runs as well, leading to a 7-0 shutout against the Cardinals. Peralta has also experienced a drop in his velocity in his last outing. It has just been awful for Peralta so far, and you wonder if he’s losing confidence.
Peralta Still Has Confidence In Turning This Season Around
However, through all of this, that is not the case. Peralta still has confidence in himself and in his ability to turn things around. Peralta, when talking about this season, said, “Not good right now, talking about numbers. At the end of the day, it’s all that matters,” Peralta continued, “But I’ve been in this situation before. Good thing that I’m healthy. And I have like 18, 19 more games in front of me. I just have to keep competing.” Of course, Peralta will continue to compete and fight when it’s all said and done. The concern is, if and when he will actually turn it around.
What Will The Mets Look To Do With Peralta?
With Peralta seeking an eight-year deal worth around $200 million, the Mets will soon have to decide on whether to extend him or look to move away from him. If things keep trending down for the Mets, they have to look to move on from Peralta. David Stearns has yet to make a decision on which way he is trending towards for the deadline. However, at this rate, and with all the hurdles they need to jump, they would be better off selling and trading assets like Peralta and acquiring players rather than letting him walk in the offseason.
Peralta has been a letdown this season, and it will be interesting to see how he responds after another brutal start. He needs to bounce back fast if the Mets are going to even think about making a magical wild card run. The chances are slim for the team and Peralta; however crazier things have happened. There will be a lot of discussion around whether he does get traded at the deadline or not. Only time will tell whether he turns it around or not and whether Peralta will end this season as a New York Met.
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