One step forward, two steps back. This has been the perfect phrase to summarize the New York Mets this season. New York’s offseason being painted as a success hinged largely on Freddy Peralta’s ability to be an ace. At the bare minimum, they needed him to be a top-of-the-rotation arm. So far, Peralta has not delivered.
Peralta’s Struggles
Just his second start after allowing six runs to the St. Louis Cardinals, Peralta followed it up with the worst outing of his major league career, surrendering 10 earned runs on 10 hits in just 2 2/23 innings pitched in Philadelphia. And while allowing 10 runs anytime is concerning, his comments postgame raised them.
“I think I’ve been a little inconsistent, but I have time to be better,” Peralta said.
Time for Peralta and the Mets in general is running out, if it hasn’t already. The club stands at 34-42 with a little more than a month to go until the trade deadline (Aug. 3). Peralta’s struggles cost everyone involved. His season ERA has skyrocketed to 4.83—which now ranks him at 59 among the 66 major league pitchers qualified in ERA—far from what anyone would have expected at this time of year.
“Only being able to throw two-plus innings,” Peralta said when asked what the he was most unhappy with his outing. Not being able to pitch deep into games is something Peralta has always had to deal with in his career. With the Brewers, he earned the tongue-in-cheek moniker “Five-inning Freddy” because, well, he would only throw five innings. That nickname has carried over this year to the Mets.
“He got behind hitters and had a hard time executing. Every time he came in the zone they got him,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Especially when you get behind in [counts to] this lineup, you’re gonna see games like this.”
Peralta’s Mets Future
Prior to the season, there was chatter about a potential extension for the right-hander. The Mets needed a frontline starting pitcher and chose to trade for the guy they knew. Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns gave his former team Milwaukee two top prospects in Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams. That’s a lot of trade capital, but at the time of the trade it was seen as a win-win for both clubs, mainly because the expectation was for Peralta to pitch like a top arm.
Peralta’s numbers are nowhere near that of a top arm, let alone an ace. Barring some type of run that the Mets believe can turn their season around and possibly make the postseason, Peralta is expected to be shopped at the deadline, along with many others. But with every poor start like Saturday’s against the Phillies, his value only sinks lower and lower.
This hurts Peralta more than it does for the Mets. In early June, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported that Peralta is seeking a deal in the range of Max Fried’s eight-year, $218 million pact he signed with the New York Yankees in free agency.
In a contract year, like Peralta is in, that type of deal is likely out the window for most teams who are expected to pursue him. If the 30-year-old wants to get paid like an ace, he better start performing like one. Time is running out.
“If somebody’s able to bounce back after bad outings, it’s a guy like Freddy,” Mendoza said. “He’s a competitor, he’s a guy who’s gonna come back the next day and look for ways to get better.”
Main Image Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
