This Cubs-Mets trade for Freddy Peralta would give Chicago the edge over the Dodgers

Both the Chicago Cubs and the New York Mets ranked within the top five of FanSided's Opening Day power rankings, suggesting they were expected to end the season sitting comfortably in postseason positioning. The Cubs have held their end of that bargain after a bit of a rocky start, winning eight in a row and 15 (!) in a row at home, entering Friday's action with a NL Central-leading 26-12 record. The Mets, on the other hand, have been a disaster.

At 14-23, the Mets have a share of the worst record in the majors. Things have gone so poorly for New York that Bruce Levine of 670 The Score reported that the Cubs have spoken with the Mets about acquiring Freddy Peralta. A deal won't happen in May, but Levine notes that if the Mets can't get back into the postseason hunt by June 1, they might decide to move the upcoming free agent. If the Mets and Cubs were to line up on a trade, here's what it might look like around the deadline.

Why the Cubs would be an ideal Freddy Peralta suitor

It isn't hard to see why the Cubs would reach out now to inquire about Peralta. Sure, this says a lot about where the Mets are standings-wise, but it also suggests that the Cubs are desperate for starting pitching, and why shouldn't they be? In just the first month of the season, the Cubs lost Cade Horton to a season-ending injury, saw Justin Steele's long-awaited return from the IL get pushed back, and watched Matthew Boyd land on the IL twice, the second of which will keep him sidelined for at least six weeks.

The Cubs have gotten solid starts from guys like Shota Imanaga, Edward Cabrera and Colin Rea, but their need for starting pitching is abundantly clear. Peralta might not be a high-end ace, but he's a clear frontline starter, as the Cubs know all too well from his days with the rival Milwaukee Brewers.

He's the kind of guy you can plug into the top of a rotation and expect consistently reliable starts from. He might not give the most length, but after allowing four runs on Opening Day, he's allowed a total of 11 earned runs in seven starts, not allowing more than three earned runs a single time. The Cubs are in World Series contention, and Peralta gives them a starter to lean on in October.

What a Cubs-Mets trade for Freddy Peralta would look like

The deal would be a very simple one-for-one transaction. The Cubs would be going all-in on their 2026 season, acquiring Peralta, a rental, for their top prospect, Jaxon Wiggins. The Mets would be giving up on Peralta, a pitcher they just traded a haul to acquire in the 2025 offseason, in exchange for Wiggins, a pitcher who could seemingly contribute in the majors this season and be in their rotation long-term.

Both Cubs and Mets fans are going to think this trade isn't fair, but here's why it could make sense for both sides.

Would the Cubs make this trade?

At first glance, this seems rich. Peralta is an ace, but he's not one of the 10 best pitchers on the planet and he's on an expiring contract. The Cubs would be trading their best prospect and one who ranks No. 60 on FanSided's Top 100 list for a couple of guaranteed months of a starter who won't will you to wins in the way that a guy like Tarik Skubal will.

With that being said, there's reason for the Mets to have this ask, and it comes back to the trade they made over the offseason to acquire Peralta. The Mets parted with both Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams, two top 72 prospects on FanSided's Top 100 list, to acquire Peralta and Tobias Myers just months ago. Now, the Mets were able to get another player in the deal and got Peralta for a few more months, but they also parted with two prospects in a similar tier to Wiggins. In fact, based on how this season has gone for Wiggins, you can argue that both Williams and Sproat should be valued higher. Wiggins has made just two starts, struggled in those outings, and has been out since early April with an elbow injury.

In summary, this feels like a deal the Cubs should make. Wiggins is an exciting prospect, but why wait for him to maybe develop when you can trade him for a pitcher of Peralta's caliber? Jed Hoyer loves his prospects, so who knows if he'll actually take the plunge, but the value is fair, and the timing feels right. The Cubs are in a position to try and win right now, and with both Tarik Skubal and Joe Ryan dealing with concerning elbow issues, Peralta might be the best option available come deadline day.

Ideally, the Cubs would be acquiring a pitcher with multiple years of control, but they'd be getting Peralta at a bargain salary (he's making $8 million this season), allowing them to have funds to acquire other players, and plus, Peralta has been vocal about his willingness to ink an extension with both the Brewers and Mets. Who's to say he won't extend with Chicago? Ultimately, to beat the Dodgers, you have to go all-in like this. A deal like this would make the Cubs much better and absolutely improve their odds of beating Los Angeles in a postseason series.

Would the Mets make this deal?

If the Mets make this deal, it wouldn't be for a while. The Mets made a huge investment when they acquired Peralta, and while their odds to make the postseason certainly feel slim to none right now, they won't give up until they absolutely have to. With that being said, if the Mets fall out of contention, this trade makes a lot of sense.

The Mets would be acquiring a pitcher who, when healthy, might be ready to slot into their rotation right away. This season will have been a massive disappointment, but knowing they'd have a young starting pitching nucleus of Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong, Wiggins and Jack Wenninger, it'd be easy to get excited about 2027 and beyond.

The Mets might prefer to acquire more than one prospect for their most established starter, but knowing that Peralta is a free agent after the year, the odds of them getting a better prospect as a headliner than Wiggins are probably slim. If they have a choice between acquiring one good prospect and multiple decent ones, they should choose the good one.

Reluctantly, I'd say the Mets would do this deal if they decide to be deadline sellers, especially if they're unwilling to meet Peralta's asking price for an extension, as has been the case thus far.

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