Regrading the Freddy Peralta trade after Mets messy start and Brandon Woodruff's injury

The New York Mets and the Milwaukee Brewers made one of the biggest trades of this past offseason, with New York acquiring Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers in exchange for a pair of prospects on FanSided's top 100 list in Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat.

The deal made a lot of sense for both sides at the time, with both teams getting positive grades. in hindsight, though, it could prove to be one both sides want to have back.

Why both teams made the Freddy Peralta trade

The biggest reason the 2025 Mets collapsed as hard as they did is that the starting pitching was non-existent down the stretch. Kodai Senga led the Majors in ERA through June, only for him to pitch so poorly to the point where he was demoted to Triple-A in September once he returned from a midseason injury. David Peterson was an All-Star in the first half and unusable down the stretch. Sean Manaea was never right after being the Mets' best starter in 2024. Thus, Peralta, a pitcher who had just finished fifth in the NL Cy Young award voting, felt like a perfect target.

Even if he were only a rental, the Mets seemingly had the talent necessary to make an all-in move as they attempted to get back to the postseason, and their rotation was their biggest weakness. Adding Myers into the deal made it a clear no-brainer for New York at the time, especially when they got to hold onto top prospects like Carson Benge and Jonah Tong.

As for Milwaukee, they traded a free agent to be, hoping to get something for him before likely losing him for nothing more than a draft pick next winter. They'd done this in the past with guys like Josh Hader, Corbin Burnes and Devin Williams, and continued to find ways to get to the playoffs in spite of that.

Again, though, this deal is looking like one both sides are regretting right about now.

Mets Freddy Peralta trade regrade after brutal start to season

The Mets acquired Peralta, hoping he'd be the piece that eluded them at the top of their rotation in 2025. So far, the results have been pretty mixed: The right-hander hasn't been bad by any means, as his 3.52 ERA would indicate, but getting deep into games remains an issue. Even after completing six innings on Thursday, Peralta has gone six frames just twice in seven starts. He has not thrown a pitch in the seventh inning. He's never gone particularly deep into games in his career, but did the Mets really acquire him thinking it'll be a struggle to get through six most times he takes the mound?

Beyond Peralta's mixed results, New York is an absolute mess. They fell to 10-21 on the year after Thursday's defeat, and they're just 2-5 in Peralta's starts. It obviously isn't Peralta's fault that they've been so bad when he's pitched, but he isn't willing them to victories either.

Peralta is a free agent after the year, and nothing about David Stearns' history suggests he'll be the one to give the right-hander the kind of massive long-term deal he'll command on the open market. The Mets made this trade in an attempt to win in 2026, and while again it isn't Peralta's fault that they aren't competitive right now, trading a pair of top-100 prospects for him isn't looking great.

Now, to be fair, Myers was acquired in this deal as well, and he's been mostly reliable in a long relief role out of the bullpen. He's a player the Mets can use as a starter or as a reliever for several years to come, as he doesn't even hit arbitration until 2028. But this deal was not made with Myers in mind.

The deal was about Peralta, and there's a real chance the Mets will have traded two top prospects for just one year of the right-hander that won't even result in a postseason berth.

New York Mets trade regrade: C+

Brewers Freddy Peralta trade regrade after Brandon Woodruff injury scare

Again, the motive behind trading Peralta was to set the Brewers up for the future. While this might still do that, what can't be ignored is that a Milwaukee team that led the Majors in wins in the 2025 regular season willingly traded their best pitcher in exchange for prospects that might help in the future. Brandon Woodruff's injury scare only makes the deal look more questionable.

Woodruff left his start after recording just four outs on Thursday, with his velocity dipping considerably. There isn't an injury update as of this writing, but the velocity being where it was raises clear red flags.

If Woodruff is injured, this is a very damaging blow for the Brewers. Sure, they can call up an emerging prospect like Logan Henderson from Triple-A to replace Woodruff, and there's still a lot of talent in this rotation led by guys like Jacob Misiorowski, Chad Patrick and Kyle Harrison. But Woodruff, a two-time All-Star, was supposed to essentially be the Peralta replacement atop Milwaukee's rotation.

Now, the Brewers will have to rely on young, unproven starters, likely for an extended stretch. They have the talent to survive, but can they chug along despite their inexperience? It sure feels like they could use Peralta right about now.

Beyond that, the Brewers haven't gotten much of a return on this deal yet. Sproat is in the Majors, but he has a 6.75 ERA in six appearances (four starts), and Williams is hitting just .222 with a .661 OPS in Triple-A. Again, this was a future play, but neither player is off to a very good start.

There's reason to believe that the Brewers, a team known for their development, can get the most out of Sproat and Williams. But trading Peralta, particularly when you're in a winning window, further emphasizing the need for the injury-prone Woodruff to stay healthy, was always a risk, and it's backfiring right about now.

Milwaukee Brewers trade regrade: C

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