It didn’t take long for the Mets to turn around the public perception of their offseason, signing Bo Bichette before trading for Luis Robert Jr. to address two significant holes in their lineup.
But the next move -- and some would say the most important one -- came Wednesday night, as New York sent two of its top five prospects (infielder/outfielder Jett Williams and right-hander Brandon Sproat) to the Brewers for right-handers Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers, finally adding the ace the club had been seeking all winter.
“I like the Mets’ aggressiveness; I don’t think they gave up anything they’ll regret,” an American League executive said. “Jett is a solid everyday guy; doesn’t have a defensive home, but he can move around and give you average offense. Sproat is a No. 4 starter who limits damage, throws strikes, and will benefit from the great defense Brewers provide. Good all-around deal.”
“Looks like a good deal for both teams,” another AL exec said. “The Mets got the starter they wanted, and Milwaukee got two good young players close to the Major Leagues for a starting pitcher with one year of control. I think they both made out well.”
The Mets’ rotation ranked ninth in the National League last season with a 4.13 ERA, making the need for the addition of a frontline starter fairly obvious. President of baseball operations David Stearns has never been one to hand out long-term deals to free-agent starting pitchers, so the move for Peralta -- whom Stearns first acquired while running the Brewers back in 2015 -- was hardly a surprise.
Peralta is slated to become a free agent at the end of the 2026 season, but he instantly makes the Mets better for this year. However, some executives believe New York paid a hefty price for one year of the right-hander’s services.
“My first reaction is that it feels like a lot,” a National League executive said. “I might like Sproat more than Peralta right now; one year versus six years has a lot to do with it.”
“Tobias Myers is not nothing in this deal,” an AL executive added.
Another AL executive compared the trade to the Brewers’ deal that sent Corbin Burnes to the Orioles for lefty DL Hall and infielder Joey Ortiz in February 2024.
“Classic Milwaukee deal,” the AL exec said. “It feels similar to the Burnes return -- two solid, but not great, prospects. That deal also had the Comp A [Draft pick] and didn’t include another player going the other way, which makes sense, given that Peralta is not as good as Burnes was at the time.
“Jett Williams probably doesn’t stick at shortstop, so he better really hit; he’s super young for [Triple-A], so systems will like him despite his underwhelming stats. Sproat is likely more of a back-end rotation [arm] or reliever, but he has so much control that if he gets a bit better and is a third or fourth starter, he would offer a lot of value.”
Trading a pair of top prospects for a player with one year of control is always a risky move; look no further than the Yankees with Juan Soto and the Cubs with Kyle Tucker, two players who left as free agents after one year with the club. The Mets have the money to extend Peralta, which is precisely what some executives believe Stearns will attempt to do before the pitcher hits the open market.
“Digging into their prospect capital in a substantial way for one year of Peralta either means that they have the ability to or are going to extend him,” an AL executive said.
“It’s a good match, and I don’t understand why more large-market clubs with solid farm systems don’t lean in more regardless of the amount of control coming back,” another AL executive said. “What’s the point of creating surplus if you don’t use it, considering most problems can be solved by spending?”
Three execs used the term “win-win” to describe the trade, noting that both the Mets and Brewers accomplished their goals in the deal.
“The Mets get better for this year, and the Brewers get better for the long haul,” another NL exec said. “It’s a steep price, but the Mets can also get the Draft pick if and when Peralta becomes a free agent.”
“It seems like a good deal for Mets, but the Brewers always pick the right guys and got a ready-to-plug-in starting pitcher and a very good prospect and continue to roll back service years,” an NL executive said. “It’s hard to pull off a win-win for two teams trying to win in the same league, but I think this actually accomplished that.”