Aug 20, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza (64) stands in the dugout before a game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

Mets get good news on potential trade target

Originally posted on New York Mets on SI | By Grant Young | Last updated Jan 16, 2026 3:00 PM ET

The New York Mets made a major splash in free agency on January 16, as news broke that the team had signed infielder Bo Bichette to a three-year, $126 million contract.

This caught the baseball community by surprise, as nobody figured that the Mets were going to be major players in signing Bichette, given that they already have a very crowded infield. However, after Kyle Tucker signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers on January 15, it became clear that the Mets needed to sign somebody or else their offseason would have been ruinous.

Most believed that the Mets were going to go all-in on pursuing outfielder Cody Bellinger after losing out on Tucker, given that Bellinger is a much more obvious fit. However, perhaps the Mets felt like they wouldn't be able to outbid the Yankees for Bellinger, and instead wanted to ensure that they added at least one of the best free agent bats available.

The Mets would still appear to be in play to sign either Framber Valdez or Zac Gallen, who are the two best free agent starting pitchers on the market. But various reports have suggested that David Stearns prefers to add a frontline starting pitcher via a trade rather than through free agency.

And this makes even more sense, given the surplus of capable big league infielders the Mets now have after signing Bichette.

Freddy Peralta trade update bodes well for Mets

One pitcher the Mets have been linked to throughout the offseason is Milwaukee Brewers ace Freddy Peralta, who went 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA and 204 strikeouts in 176.2 innings pitched during the 2025 regular season.

Milwaukee has apparently been going back and forth on whether they'd be willing to part ways with Peralta.

A January 15 article from Jon Heyman of the New York Post presented positive news in this regard, as he reported that both the Mets and the Yankees have checked in about a potential trade for Peralta, as there seems to be growing belief that the Brewers could part ways with him this winter if the deal makes sense.

Mets, Yankees inquire about Freddy Peralta as trade buzz grows https://t.co/4qexbjov0M pic.twitter.com/lXIBUHWNfG
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) January 16, 2026

The Mets would likely have to give up a couple of their top prospects for Peralta, perhaps in addition to a big league infielder like Brett Baty or Mark Vientos.

But given how great Peralta is, New York adding him to their rotation would change a lot of sentiment about how their offseason has gone to this point.

This article first appeared on New York Mets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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