Freddy Peralta 'wanted' to be a Met

The New York Mets got the ace they were seeking when they traded for right-hander Freddy Peralta of the Milwaukee Brewers. 

Since becoming a Met, fans have wondered if Peralta would sign a contract extension, as he will be a free agent after this season. On a recent appearance on the "Foul Territory" podcast, Peralta revealed that he wanted to be a Met and had a feeling he would get traded to New York. 

"Yeah, 100% I did," Peralta said. "I had a feeling, and I wanted to come here [the Mets], I’m not going to lie." 

Peralta had his best season in 2025, getting named to his second All-Star team, and finished fifth in the Cy Young Award voting. Peralta led the National League in wins (17) and had the best ERA of his career (2.70), while also making the most starts (33) and pitching the most innings (176.2) of his career. 

Freddy Peralta wanting to be a Met bodes well for extension talks

Peralta steps in as the Mets ace this year, and he will help rookie right-hander Nolan McLean adjust to a full 162-game season. He's scheduled to reach free agency after 2026, though, when he'll be among the top targets in a free-agent class that will also include two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. 

Signed for an affordable $8 million this season, Peralta can safely expect an increase next season, with The Athletic’s Tim Britton and Will Sammon predicting he could earn up to $28 million on a potential long-term deal.  

Don't dismiss the David Stearns connection 

Another major factor in talks between the Mets and Peralta is his relationship with president of baseball operations David Stearns. 

It was Stearns who, when working in the Brewers front office, pushed the team to acquire Peralta at age 19 from the Mariners in December 2015. Stearns then spearheaded negotiations for his contract extension, a five-year, $15.5 million deal with a pair of team options at $8M apiece.

The pair have a long history and know each other well, as Stearns shared with ESPN's Jorge Castillo: 

"This is someone who, first and foremost, is a really good person," Stearns said to Castillo. "He meshes well with his teammates, with his organization. He emerged as a really quality leader in the clubhouse and with the Brewers, and he's constantly getting better and I had a front-row seat for that during his development."

That history will only help in talks between the two sides.