RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 4 sourcesThe Mets went into this season with the second-highest payroll in MLB and expectations to at least compete in the NL East. Instead, they've been among the most disappointing teams in the league and sit in last place — nearly 20 games behind the first-place Braves.
So, we knew the Mets would be making some moves at the deadline. And on Sunday, some activity happened as the Mets offloaded one of their most disappointing offseason acquisitions in starter Freddy Peralta. The two-time All-Star is on the move to Tampa Bay.
So who won this deal? Let's break it down with the details for each side and hand out some grades.
Mets and Rays trade details
Rays get: RHP Freddy Peralta
Mets get: OF Aidan Smith, 2B Emilien Pitre and RHP Gary Gill Hill
Rays trade grade
The Rays are already in first place in the American League East and have a stacked starting rotation with Drew Rasmussen, Shane McClanahan and Nick Martinez. So, on paper, they just bolstered their staff in a low-risk, high-reward move.
Peralta has been dreadful this season. After posting a career-best season in Milwaukee last year (17-6, 2.70 ERA, 5.5 WAR), Peralta completely lost his form in joining the Mets. His ERA is at 4.99, and he's posted a career-worst .264 opponent batting average. But if there's any team that can get him back on track, it's probably the Rays. They have to be happy about acquiring Peralta without giving up a top-10 organizational prospect. GRADE: A-
Mets trade grade
What a rough move for the Mets to make, but they had to get something for Peralta at this point. The Mets had traded two top prospects (Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat) for Peralta and couldn't even get a full year of him. Williams is currently the Brewers' fourth-rated prospect, and Sproat is with the Brewers this season with comparable numbers to Peralta.
Smith — the highest-rated prospect sent to the Mets in the deal — is struggling to break the Mendoza Line in high-A. The Mets spent a lot to acquire Peralta and couldn't make it a full season with him. GRADE: D
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Freddy Peralta trade grades: Who won the Mets and Rays deal?
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