Freddy Peralta wants to stay with the Mets, but its easier said than done

Plus, Juan Soto did Juan Soto things for the Dominican Republic, and the Mets trounced the Yankees in Port St. Lucie

What’s Up with the Mets? 🌴

• The Mets defeated the Yankees 10-4 in Port St. Lucie on Sunday afternoon (box)

• Freddy Peralta started for the Mets and allowed two runs in the first inning, but settled down to give the Mets three innings with four strikeouts

• Francisco Álvarez and Carson Benge, who started in center field on Sunday, each recorded two hits, and Brett Baty continued his strong spring with a double in three at-bats

• Jonathan Pintaro - the club’s 22nd ranked prospect - gave the Mets 2.2 IP of scoreless relief

• AJ Ewing - the club’s fourth ranked prospect - raised his OPS to .996 for the spring with a single and two RBI

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Injury Updates 🏥

• RHP Robert Stock has a compressed artery and will require Thoracic Outlet Syndrome - he needs surgery but hopes to return by the end of the year

• LHP Brandon Waddell recently reported shoulder fatigue - he will continue to throw on the side in non-game situations

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Rumor Mill 💨

• LHP Tarik Skubal said the Tigers have not made a long-term offer to retain him, and there won’t be any conversations until after the season (USA Today)

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Sunday, March 8:

• Juan Soto (DOM): 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, game-winning home run

• Mark Vientos (NCG): 1-for-3, K

Schedule | Standings | Scores

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Today’s Game 🏝️

Match-up: Mets (7-5) vs. Marlins (6-7)

Where: Clover Park - Port St. Lucie, FL

Starters: RHP Tyler Phillips (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. LHP Zach Thornton (Spring debut)

When: 6:10 PM EDT

Where to Watch: SNY

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The complexities in front of both Freddy Peralta and the Mets to get a deal done ✍️

At the beginning of spring training, Freddy Peralta was asked immediately upon his arrival what he might think about a contract extension with the Mets. He and David Stearns basically told everyone to hold their horses on that subject - Peralta said he wanted to get to know the Mets, the players, their systems, their organization, and Stearns said he wanted Peralta to get to camp, get comfortable and into a routine as well, although there wasn’t a “no” coming from Stearns on the subject.

That alone was encouraging considering it’s clearly Stearns’ preference to not sign second-generation contracts, especially for pitchers who might be locked into such a contract on the wrong side of 30 years old.

To be fair, I don’t blame Stearns, the Mets, or any club for feeling uncomfortable about long-term contracts for pitchers, especially those who become free agents. Their best years tend to be behind them, they’re more likely to deal with a medium to long-term injury, and teams simply don’t want to play these guys big bucks to not play for them for extended periods of time.

I always tell people the Corbin Burnes contract makes club’s look smart for wanting to avoid long-term contracts for starting pitchers. Among others.

But, it doesn’t mean that at some point, Stearns and the Mets shouldn’t take a risk. I think the Mets will agree that it’s a case-by-case basis, not every player or pitcher specifically meets that criteria, and there has to be both a medium and long-term need to lock in such a player, who should bring unique characteristics to the table.

I think it’s obvious Juan Soto met the criteria, whether you’re comfortable with the contract or not. He’s that generational player who does things most players don’t, he’s a draw all by himself, he’s marketable and a player who can and has re-made the brand of the Mets. He’s expensive, but these kinds of players don’t grow on trees and come around every day - he’s simply an amazing hitter, period end of story.

So, does Peralta meet the criteria?

AP Photo

The one thing I have noticed about Peralta is that the Mets got themselves a real bubbly personality. He seems like a warm and genuine guy, he has a sense of humor, he seems like a really positive influence in the room, and just a guy people gravitate to. That can have a lot of value for younger pitchers such as Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong specifically. He has this presence to him on the mound of course, and he has a recent track record which is ace-caliber. That’s why the Mets got him, of course, but I think that entire package is something that could give Peralta a unique value as both he and the Mets look ahead towards a potential future relationship.

Also, it’s worth mentioning the Mets gave up a lot to get Peralta. They gave up one of their three best pitching prospects in Brandon Sproat, and one of their best position player prospects in Jett Williams. They enriched the Brewers farm system in a big way for what could end up merely being a rental for the Mets and someone Milwaukee was most certainly going to let go at the end of the year if they had retained him. So, that alone should incentivize the Mets to look into a long-term deal for Peralta.

Of course, it’s not that simple.

Peralta recently told the New York Post he is looking for a seven or eight-year contract extension. He likes the Mets, has liked his experience with the club, and told the Post he wants to be here too. That could be lip service, but Peralta seems to speak pretty openly and honestly when he’s in front of the mic, so I have a good amount of faith he’s telling the truth that he wants to be a Met long-term.

But seven or eight years might be a little rich for the Mets considering Stearns’ generally public stance on not wanting to sign pitchers to long-term deals. That doesn’t mean Peralta will hold firm on that, especially since he is very likely to receive a qualifying offer from the Mets if they don’t come to terms, which will unquestionably hamper his market in the off-season, CBA issues aside.

Speaking of the CBA, that’s another layer of complexity in all of this. We don’t really know where labor relations are headed after the season; there’s no telling what the financial framework of the league will look like, either. That could motivate both parties to hash out a deal under the current rules of the CBA sooner rather than later, but it could also make clubs hesitant to do longer-term contracts for players eight months or so before this CBA expires and a work stoppage looming large over the game.

Imagn Images

But, given the combination of skill and personality, and the fact Stearns and assistant GM Eduardo Brizuela know Peralta and have now acquired him on two different occasions, I wonder if this player might be that exception. It’s not to say being an exception will lead to Stearns doling out a seven or an eight-year contract like Peralta wants, but I do wonder if there’s a middle ground here on a four or five-year scenario which can make both parties comfortable and happy. The Mets have shown a willingness to go shorter-term at a higher average annual salary in recent years with opt-outs, and that has clearly been a way to attract premier talent, albeit at a risk of disrupting continuity for the roster. Four or five years is medium-term, if not long-term by today’s standards in most cases, which would be a compromise to meet one of Peralta’s stated requirements to the Athletic, which is to not sign one of those ultra-short-term deals, such as the one Framber Valdez signed with the Tigers this winter.

Then of course, there’s the Tarik Skubal factor, who is unquestionably the exception to any norm for this front office, or any front office for that matter.

It is very, very difficult to see the Mets, or any team for that matter, inking two free agents like Skubal and Peralta, again assuming all things are even equal with the new CBA. Of course, there’s no guarantee the Mets can get Skubal in free agency, especially with the Dodgers, Yankees, and who knows who else presumably being involved.

As you can see, while it may seem like a no-brainer for the Mets to extend Peralta, and there are a lot of reasons why the Mets probably should from a bird’s-eye view, it’s more complicated than one might think. But he’s publicly saying now he wants to be a Met, the Mets have a medium and long-term need, they gave up a lot to get him, and the intangibles he brings the Mets all have value and merit going forward.

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Around the League 🚩

• RHP Zack Littell is signing a one-year contract with the Nationals with an option for 2027 (ESPN)

• Japan put up four late runs and staved off a late threat from Australia in a 4-3 win in Tokyo

• Cuba improved to 2-0 in pool play with their 7-4 win over Colombia

• Alejandro Kirk drove in four runs and Alek Thomas drove in three runs as Mexico smoked Brazil 16-0 in six innings