Mets step in front of Yankees, Dodgers with blockbuster Freddy Peralta trade

The New York Mets didn’t wait around for another superstar to slip into the hands of a rival.

New York has acquired All-Star right-hander Freddy Peralta from the Milwaukee Brewers, beating the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers to one of the most impactful arms on the market. The price was steep — top prospects Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat are headed to Milwaukee, with swingman Tobias Myers also joining Peralta in Queens — but this is the kind of swing contenders make.

It's somewhat of a full-circle moment, as David Stearns first brought Peralta to the Brewers as a teenager in a trade more than a decade ago. Peralta gives the Mets a true frontline starter with swing-and-miss stuff and postseason pedigree. He pairs elite strikeout ability with durability, instantly elevating a rotation that now looks built for October rather than merely survival.

It’s a clear signal: the Mets aren’t content to watch the Dodgers hoard stars or the Yankees dominate headlines. They’re done waiting their turn.

Mets make statement by acquiring Freddy Peralta in massive trade with Brewers

Earlier Wednesday morning, Michael Marino reported that Milwaukee was seeking Williams and Sproat in any Peralta deal. According to Marino, the Mets pushed back on the Brewers’ interest in top pitching prospect Jonah Tong, helping shape the final package. Joel Sherman added that Myers was likely to be the additional big-league arm heading from Milwaukee to Queens if a deal crossed the finish line — which it now has.

Peralta had become one of the premier trade targets for clubs desperate for rotation help. The 29-year-old is in the final year of his contract and coming off a fifth-place Cy Young finish after delivering 176 2/3 innings of 2.70 ERA baseball.

The Brewers had been cautiously shopping Peralta all offseason, holding out for what they deemed an acceptable return. A pair of consensus top-100 prospects in Sproat and Williams got the job done.

The Mets have loudly flipped the script on their offseason, which fans once bemoaned after the departures of longtime players Pete Alonso, Edwin Díaz and Brandon Nimmo. But then New York signed Bo Bichette, acquired outfielder Luis Robert Jr., and now they've added Peralta. This is a statement move for the Mets. They're saying they’re not just in the conversation — they’re driving it.