MLB Rumors: Tarik Skubal trade holdup and why Freddy Peralta comes with a catch

The MLB trade deadline is far enough for nobody to know for sure which teams are buying and selling, and close enough for rumors to be percolating. From Tarik Skubal potentially being traded to the New York Mets orchestrating a major sell-off, rumors continue to circulate at a rapid pace.

The latest MLB rumors feature Skubal, Freddy Peralta and more. Let's dive in.

Why a Tarik Skubal trade is off limits... for now

• Tarik Skubal needs to make at least three starts to convince teams to trade for him
• Tigers must be out of contention to trade Skubal

Nobody has been discussed more in trade rumors than Tarik Skubal, and for good reason. Skubal, an upcoming free agent, is arguably the best pitcher in the sport, and the Detroit Tigers are 26-39, tied for last place in the AL Central. Even with the team in such a bad spot and Skubal unlikely to remain in Detroit past this season, the back-to-back Cy Young winner is unavailable in trade talks - at least for now. There are two reasons for this, per Nightengale.

"Rival executives believe that Skubal will need to make at least three starts to convince teams he’s healthy. Perhaps even more important, the Tigers also have to convince themselves they have no chance to get back in the playoff race before moving him," Nightengale wrote.

First and foremost, Skubal had a loose body removed in early May, and has been on the IL ever since. He's making an unprecedentedly fast recovery from said injury, which could boost his stock if he looks like his typical self, but that's far from a guarantee. It makes a lot of sense that teams would only be willing to trade a massive haul of prospects to acquire a rental if said rental proves he's healthy and back to dominant form. It takes more than one start to do that.

The other reason also makes sense. The season has been a disaster thus far for the Tigers, but they've won four of their last five games and thanks to an incredibly weak AL, they're only 5.5 games back of a Wild Card spot. They'll have to continue winning to keep Skubal past the deadline, but they're doing well enough right now to not commit to selling in June, roughly two months before the deadline.

Freddy Peralta's extension ask could impact trade interest

• Freddy Peralta is expected to seek a contract similar to Max Fried's eight-year, $218 million deal
• Teams unwilling to meet that contract ask might be reluctant to trade for him

While most of the attention is on Skubal, a pitcher who might receive even more widespread interest is New York Mets right-hander Freddy Peralta. Skubal is obviously the better pitcher, but Peralta won't cost nearly as much to acquire, both asset-wise and financially (Peralta is making only $8 million this season, compared to Skubal's $32 million). That could change, though, when considering Peralta's extension ask.

"If a team acquires New York Mets ace Freddy Peralta at the trade deadline and wants to keep him, they better be ready to pay up. Peralta will be seeking a free agent contract similar to Max Fried’s eight-year, $218 million deal, according to those familiar with Peralta’s expectations." Nightengale wrote.

Now, not every team interested in acquiring him would do so with the intention of extending him, but most teams are known for being passive when it comes to trading impactful prospects for rentals. Trading for Peralta becomes less enticing knowing that his extension ask is as high as it appears to be.

Peralta is a very good pitcher. He's durable and consistent. With that being said, it's not as if his numbers this season (3.63 ERA, 4.01 FIP, career-low 23.9 percent strikeout rate) scream "ace," and Peralta has completed six innings only five times in 13 starts, so it's not like he's eating many innings, either.

He'll have a large market, but his performance, combined with a very hefty extension ask, could make teams think twice before trading for him.

Ketel Marte continues to frustrate Diamondbacks

• Ketel Marte's propensity to take days off continues to irritate part of the Diamondbacks organization
• Marte now has a full no-trade clause

Arguably the hottest name on the trade market this past offseason was Ketel Marte, and the reasons he was seemingly available had nothing to do with baseball or even his contract. It had everything to do with the kind of teammate he is. Well, those concerns haven't vanished, as Nightengale reports that part of the Arizona Diamondbacks' organization remains frustrated with the star second baseman as he continues to take days off.

"Meanwhile, Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte, who the D-backs tried to trade during the winter, continues to frustrate segments of the organization by opting to take days off. He sat last week when Shohei Ohtani the Los Angeles Dodgers pitched against the Diamondbacks, and then played the next day and hit a walk-off homer," Nightengale wrote.

While I can understand the frustration of Marte taking a day off against the Dodgers of all teams, it does feel like some of this animosity is misguided. Not only did Marte hit two massive home runs against Los Angeles, leading to D-Backs wins, but he has appeared in 60 of the Diamondbacks' 64 games, starting 58 of them. He's on pace to play over 150 games this season, and if he were to eclipse the 150-game mark, that'd be his first time doing so since 2018. That doesn't seem so bad.

Unfortunately for those frustrated segments of the organization, Marte earned his 10-5 rights in April, meaning he has a full no-trade clause. The Diamondbacks elected to hold onto him despite these concerns when they could've traded him to 24 of the 29 other teams without his consent, and now, Marte has the full right to veto a deal thanks to his 10 years of service and more than five of which coming with Arizona.

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