Crossfire: Sign Ranger Suárez or Trade for Freddy Peralta?

The Mets have had a rollercoaster of emotions this offseason so far. They lost Pete Alonso and Edwin Díaz in free agency while trading away more tenured players like Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil. To supplement these losses, David Stearns and company brought in closer Devin Williams, reliever Luke Weaver, second baseman Marcus Semien and infielder Jorge Polanco.

What the team hasn’t addressed, though, is its starting rotation. The Mets’ 2025 starting five of Clay Holmes, Kodai Senga, Griffin Canning, Tylor Megill and David Peterson led MLB in rotation ERA (2.24), along with wins (15), HR/9 (0.34), ground ball percentage (51.0%), FIP (2.77) and fWAR (4.4) in the first month of the season. However, injuries, inconsistencies and walks hurt the ever-changing rotation. The Mets finished the last two months of 2025 with the fourth-worst rotation ERA (5.65) in baseball. In addition, the rotation finished those final two months with the worst BABIP (.325), second-worst BB/9 rate (3.62) and fifth-least amount of innings pitched (248.2).

Nolan McLean joins Holmes, Senga, Sean Manaea and Peterson as the first men up, with Jonah Tong, Brandon Sproat and Christian Scott waiting in Triple-A. However, the Mets need more depth in their rotation, and they need an anchor they can rely on in 2026 and beyond.

The starting pitching market never took off after Dylan Cease signed his seven-year, $210 million deal with the Blue Jays in early December. Japanese RHP Tatsuya Imai signed a three-year contract with the Astros, and Ranger Suárez, Framber Valdez and Zac Gallen remain the marquee pitchers still on the market.

There’s always the trade market for the Mets to explore, with names like Miami’s Edward Cabrera, Milwaukee’s Freddy Peralta, Minnesota’s Joe Ryan, and of course, Detroit’s Tarik Skubal circulating the rumor mill. Will Sammon and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported Monday that the Mets, along with the Yankees, Dodgers, Braves and Red Sox had expressed interest in in Peralta

So, what should the Mets do to bolster their rotation? Should they sign a free agent pitcher or strike a trade? Mike and I decide which avenue best suits the 2026 Mets.

Sign Ranger Suárez – Allison Waxman

The Mets need consistency from their rotation, and what better way to inject that directly into their rotation than with one of baseball’s most consistent starters over the past four seasons? Ranger Suárez has posted a sub-4.00 ERA in all but one season since 2022. A lifetime 3.38 ERA pitcher, the 30-year-old produced his best season for the Phillies in 2025. Across 26 starts, the southpaw pitched to a 3.20 ERA in 157.1 innings (a career-high). He struck out 151 and walked 38.

While not overpowering by any means (his four-seamer topped out at around 91 mph in 2025), Suárez still ranked in the 90th percentile in pitching run value (17), 90th percentile in offspeed run value (+6), and 88th percentile in breaking run value (+8). No Met starter in 2025 had a better hard-hit percentage than Suárez (31.1%, Kodai Senga, 40.6%), barrel percentage (5.5%, Senga 8.0%), or pitching run value (17 compared to Clay Holmes’ +9).

Suárez’s curveball and changeup were lethal in 2025. Hitters mustered a .192 BA (.164 xBA) against his curveball, while faring not much better against the changeup (.203 BA, .209 xBA). Batters against Clay Holmes hit .209 on the changeup and .171 against David Peterson’s curveball (.228 xBA). All in all, Suárez would have been the ace of the Mets’ rotation in 2025.

David Stearns isn’t one for splurging on pitching; it’s not in his plans. However, Suárez can secure a four- to five-year deal worth around $110 million. It’s close in line to another Mets target, Michael King, before he returned to the Padres on a three-year, $75 million deal.

Injuries are the only thing to watch for with Suárez, as he’s hit the IL every season with non-arm injuries. However, if the Mets plan to contend in 2026 and beyond and still want to stay in their comfort zone, Suárez feels like the right choice, even if he comes with a compensation pick.

Trade for Freddy Peralta – Mike Mayer

Peralta feels like a perfect fit for the Mets and not just because he was in Milwaukee with David Stearns. Peralta is coming off an ace-like season as one of the best starters in the National League with a 2.70 ERA (fourth in NL), 28.2 K% (fifth), and he led the league with 17 wins.

The 29-year-old set a career-high with 33 starts, and it was his third straight season with at least 30 starts. The last time the Mets had a starter with three consecutive seasons of at least 30 starts was Jacob deGrom from 2017 through 2019. Before that, it was 40-year-old Bartolo Colon.

As Allison mentioned, the Mets need consistency, and Peralta likely gives them just that, combined with a pitcher coming off an ace season–another thing the Mets desperately need in 2026.

Of course, part of the catch with acquiring Peralta is that the Mets can’t simply sign him; they would have to give up a pretty good haul for one year of a pitcher. The asking price from the Brewers will likely be significant, given Peralta will make only $8 million in 2026. For reference, the Giants recently signed Tyler Mahle to a one-year deal for $10 million. If the Mets do trade for Peralta this offseason, they would be able to give him the qualifying offer following the 2026 season.

The Brewers are reportedly looking for big league-ready pitching, and the Mets have that in Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong, and Brandon Sproat. McLean isn’t going anywhere, and I’d assume Stearns would like to keep Tong unless it’s for a player with multiple years of control. Maybe the Mets could start with a deal that includes Sproat, and then likely one of their coveted up-and-coming hitting prospects not named Carson Benge or Jett Williams — thinking A.J. Ewing, Jacob Reimer, and Ryan Clifford.

Peralta would give the Mets the frontline starter they need and would cost less in trade than Tarik Skubal and Joe Ryan (both of whom sound less available than Peralta, too). The Mets would also get the starter they need without giving a long-term deal to a starting pitcher in their 30s, something all of baseball is seemingly trying to avoid these days.

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