Rays acquire 2-time All-Star RHP Peralta from Mets for trio of prospects

ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rays made a potentially impactful addition to their starting rotation on the eve of the Trade Deadline, acquiring right-hander Freddy Peralta from the Mets on Sunday afternoon.

Tampa Bay had been connected to Tarik Skubal, the top available starter ahead of Monday’s Trade Deadline, before he wound up with the Dodgers. The Rays instead leveraged the incredible depth of their farm system to land Peralta, arguably the most intriguing rental starter remaining on the market.

The Rays sent the Mets three Minor Leaguers who were ranked among their Top 30 Prospects, according to MLB Pipeline: outfielder Aidan Smith (Rays' No. 15 prospect), right-hander Gary Gill Hill (No. 26) and infielder Émilien Pitre (No. 27). The clubs officially announced the deal during the Rays’ 9-1 loss to the White Sox at Tropicana Field.

“We’re excited to welcome Freddy Peralta to the Tampa Bay Rays,” president of baseball operations Erik Neander said in a statement. “Freddy is a proven Major League starter with high-stakes experience and a strong track record. Adding a pitcher and competitor of his caliber strengthens our team as we push forward.”

TRADE DETAILS

Rays get: RHP Freddy Peralta
Mets get: OF Aidan Smith, RHP Gary Gill Hill, INF Émilien Pitre

Peralta, 30, is set to become a free agent at the end of the season. He is making $8 million this year, so it is a relatively small financial commitment for the Rays (65-46) to absorb. And they may not be done, as they have been active in their pursuits to upgrade a roster that has put together the best record in the American League.

Peralta does not join the Rays without concerns, however. He was a highly-touted addition for the Mets when they acquired him from the Brewers in January for prospects Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat. Based on what Peralta had done over parts of eight seasons in Milwaukee, it seemed like New York had acquired an ace.

And Peralta had an ace-like track record with ace-type stuff, having made two All-Star teams while pitching to a 3.59 ERA over 211 appearances for the Brewers. Just last season, Peralta went 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA and 5.5 Wins Above Replacement in 176 2/3 innings over 33 starts.

“He’s a great teammate. He’s a competitor. He comes every day to work,” said Rays assistant hitting coach Ozzie Timmons, who overlapped with Peralta in Milwaukee during his stint on the Brewers’ staff. “He has really good stuff. I mean, really good stuff. … He has a lot of energy every day. He'll remind you of Willy Adames a little bit with his energy.”

But Peralta had a rocky stint with the Mets. It began well enough, as he posted a 3.10 ERA in his first nine starts of the season, before his performance quickly declined. Over his last 13 outings, the right-hander went 2-6 with a 6.44 ERA.

Peralta became known as “Fastball Freddy” during his early days with the Brewers, when his signature four-seam fastball accounted for more than three-quarters of his pitches. He’s still capable of dominating with his fastball, which he now throws roughly half the time, while mixing in five offspeed offerings. But he’s lost some of the extension in his delivery, giving hitters more time to react, and that’s led to more hits and walks with a lower strikeout rate.

But Peralta believes he still possesses the same ace-type stuff, and clearly the Rays were confident enough to give up three well-regarded prospects to acquire him.

“I know he's going to love this place,” starter Griffin Jax said. “They call him Fastball Freddy. Anytime anybody with a good heater steps on this mound, it's generally pretty favorable.”

Smith, a strong defensive center fielder currently with High-A Bowling Green, was part of Tampa Bay’s return for Randy Arozarena two years ago. Pitre is a solid defensive second baseman who’s slashing .308/.438/.447 between High-A and Double-A Montgomery this season. And Gill Hill has consistently taken the ball and put up solid numbers as a starting pitching prospect, though he was one of many notable Tampa Bay prospects facing Rule 5 Draft eligibility this offseason.

It was a price worth paying for the Rays, who are adding another proven arm to one of the Majors’ best rotations this season.

The starting staff is led by 2026 All-Stars Drew Rasmussen and Nick Martinez, two-time All-Star Shane McClanahan (who is currently on the injured list due to a minor back issue) and Jax, and they’ve received solid contributions in the fifth spot from starter/bulk-innings reliever Ian Seymour.

“I'm very excited, certainly given that Mac is down, to be able to slot [Peralta] in,” manager Kevin Cash said.

McClanahan’s back injury created an immediate opening in Tampa Bay’s rotation, which will come around Tuesday at Coors Field. But it also served as a reminder that the Rays must protect their starters, especially those who are facing workload restrictions, as they enter the final weeks of a division race -- and, ideally, a run through October.