After a mostly discouraging offseason for the New York Mets, the last week has them suddenly looking like a contender again. It started with the signing of Bo Bichette — the best infielder in this year’s free-agent class. Then they followed it up by swinging two trades, landing Luis Robert and Freddy Peralta.

The Robert acquisition is a gamble. At his peak, he’s a top-10 outfielder in baseball, but injuries and inconsistency have kept him from playing at that level for several seasons. The Peralta deal, however, is much easier to endorse.

The Mets desperately needed a frontline starting pitcher, and they landed one Wednesday night, giving them one of the most complete rosters in the NL East. That’s never something you want to say about a division rival, but what’s perhaps even more discouraging for the Braves is the package New York had to give up to get him.

Mets/Brewers Trade

Mets get: Freddy Peralta, Tobias Myers
Brewers get: Jett Williams (No. 30 overall prospect), Brandon Sproat
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This is essentially a trade package the Braves couldn’t match, despite being rumored as a suitor. Atlanta doesn’t have a position-player prospect like Jett Williams in the system — not even close — and Brandon Sproat was a top-50 prospect in baseball entering the 2025 season.

If this is the asking price for a pitcher like Peralta, who’s a rental set to hit free agency after the 2026 season, it’s not a great sign for the Braves’ chances of pulling off a blockbuster deal for a true frontline starter this offseason — something they should be aggressively pursuing.

More likely, if the Braves are going to add a starting pitcher before Opening Day, they’ll have to settle for an innings-eater type on a short-term deal. Someone like Chris Bassitt fits that mold, and Lucas Giolito is another arm worth monitoring as Spring Training approaches. Both would provide much-needed depth to the rotation and come with at least some upside.

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Photo: Lawrence Iles/Icon Sportswire

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