MLB rumors: Brian Cashman is about to lose key reliever to cross-town rival Mets

The New York Mets are starting to add a few pieces to their bullpen, as they recently brought back Adam Ottavino on a one-year deal. According to a recent report, the organization has the former Yankees reliever Wandy Peralta on its radar.

Across three seasons in the Bronx, the lefty posted a 2.82 ERA. The president of baseball operations, David Stearns, has been bringing in former Yankees all offseason, and Peralta could soon be the fourth.

Stearns hired former Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza as the new Mets manager. He also brought in Luis Severino and Harrison Bader. Brian Cashman wasn’t too interested in bringing back those two for 2024, but Peralta could certainly help the Yankees next season.

Wandy Peralta would be a great fit for the Mets 

If the Mets pull this off, it would be a great addition to their team. They need bullpen arms badly. Stearns brought in Ottavino in a desperate move, who had success with the Mets over the past two seasons. The only thing is, he’s 38. 

Edwin Diaz is one of the best closers in baseball, but they need to get him the ball. Adding Peralta to the mix in the bullpen would give the Mets superstar closer an opportunity to get more save opportunities. 

In 2023 Peralta finished with a 2.83 ERA with 18 holds across 63 games. The 32-year-old has been durable over many seasons, as he’s appeared in over 56 games for three consecutive seasons. 

The Mets have a decent starting rotation, but it’s going to take a lot of things to go right for them to sneak into the playoffs next season. Offensively, they have strong pieces with Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor. 

It’s the bullpen that needed the most work this offseason though. Last season, the Mets bullpen posted a 4.45 ERA as a collective unit, which was ninth-worst in MLB. 

Stearns should be all in on the former Yankees reliever, as he could be a strong piece in the backend of the Mets bullpen. That would give them two solid lefty options in Brooks Raley and Peralta, who both posted a sub-3.00 ERA last season. 

They also have Ottavino and Drew Smith as the main right-hand options in front of Diaz. Comparing the bullpen to last season, it would be much improved. 

With the Mets missing out on Hector Neris and David Robertson, it makes sense why they’re interested in the former Yankees lefty. If Stearns wants to put a playoff-caliber team on the field for Opening Day, signing Peralta would do just that.