2 Cubs prospects the NY Mets could still get for Freddy Peralta, 2 they have no chance at

The New York Mets are falling further and further out of the playoff picture at this point, and it's hard to imagine them being able to turn things around enough over the next few weeks to avoid a sell-off. That's meant David Stearns and the front office should begin considering a number of players the club might trade, and a variety of potential suitors. One particular fit between another club and one of the Mets' players has been getting buzz for months: Freddy Peralta and the Cubs.

Jay Jaffe of Fangraphs recently skewered the Peralta trade as a "dud" for the Mets, and it's easy to see why he'd do so after the righty's struggles throughout June. Even so, the Cubs remain a fit for him thanks to an injury-plagued rotation. Peralta offers a stable floor for a Cubs team in need of innings, and a trade would help the Mets recoup some of the value from their deal with Milwaukee. Here's a look at the prospects Stearns can try to pry away from Chicago, and those he shouldn't bother with:

Pedro Ramirez has likely made himself too important for Chicago to give up

The most attractive player in the Cubs' system for Mets fans has long seemed likely to be switch-hitting infielder Pedro Ramirez. Ramirez has broken out in a big way this year, having first torn up the Triple-A level across 48 games before being promoted to the majors and hitting at an above-average clip there in a bench role. For a Mets team that's fielding the lackluster combo of Marcus Semien and Brett Baty at second and third base, Ramirez would be a very exciting get.

Unfortunately, Ramirez is probably too valuable to the Cubs at this point for them to give him up in a Peralta trade. As previously mentioned, he's already made himself a key part of the club's bench mix. With Matt Shaw spending increasingly significant time on the outfield grass and Moises Ballesteros back in the minors, Ramirez's role in the infield and DH mix seems to be more secure than ever. Perhaps he'd be available for a true ace, but Peralta is not that at this point in time.

Jonathon Long could be a near-term contributor to the Mets lineup

Luckily for the Mets, Ramirez isn't the only Triple-A hitting prospect knocking on the door of the majors for the Cubs this year. Jonathon Long was a ninth-round pick by the Cubs in 2023 and didn't get much attention at the time, but the now 24-year-old boasts a career OPS north of .800 at the Triple-A level and seems like a valuable asset for any team in need of a little extra right-handed pop at first base.

The Mets it that bill perfectly following Pete Alonso's departure for Baltimore. While Mark Vientos is currently being asked to hold down the fort at the position alongside Jared Young, Long is a younger option further away from arbitration who could prove to be a superior player if given an extended look in the big leagues. Michael Busch's presence has made that hard to achieve in Chicago, so perhaps Long would have better luck in Queens.

The Cubs won't repay the Mets' Pete Crow-Armstrong mistake with Jaxon Wiggins

The Cubs and Mets famously got together on a trade back in 2021 that continues to haunt fans in New York to this day. Chicago sent infielder Javier Baez and right-hander Trevor Williams to the Mets in exchange for then-injured 2020 first round pick Pete Crow-Armstrong. Since then, of course, Crow-Armstrong has grown into one of the game's brightest stars with the Cubs. As much as Mets fans might hope to get a little revenge on Chicago, it would be a shock if they made that same mistake.

That's why Stearns and his front office shouldn't expect Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer to sell low on right-hander Jaxon Wiggins. Wiggins entered the 2026 campaign as a consensus top-100 prospect but has dealt with injuries this year that leave his once highly anticipated MLB debut up in the air. While Wiggins is currently rehabbing after a month-long stay on the shelf for elbow inflammation, the Cubs are slow-playing the recovery process of their prized youngster.

Even with the possibility that Wiggins doesn't contribute in the majors this year, no one should be counting on the Cubs to move on from him any time soon. His phenomenal 2025 season, which included ten starts with a sub-2.00 ERA and a 31.7% strikeout rate at the Double-A level, turned enough heads that many believe Wiggins could have front-of-the-rotation upside. The Cubs won't be giving that away for a couple months of Peralta this summer, no matter how frustrating his injury is.

Cubs prospect Kane Kepley could be the future of center field for the Mets

As frustrating as the Crow-Armstrong trade is for Mets fans, perhaps it could prove to be a blessing in disguise of sorts. The Cubs will have their biggest star patrolling center field for the rest of the decade and beyond at this point, which means they have less use for their center field prospects than they otherwise would. The Mets came into 2026 with Luis Robert Jr. as their expected center fielder, and while internal upgrades are in the works an impact prospect would shake things up.

Enter Kane Kepley. The Cubs' #6 prospect according to MLB Pipeline isn't even 100 games into his professional career yet, but he's turned heads with elite plate discipline and enough speed to be a threat both on the bases and in the outfield. He's already swiped 36 bags in just 61 games for High-A South Bend this year, all while walking in over one-fifth of his plate appearances and striking out less than 15% of the time. That's the sort of player who's only available when blocked by a star.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow