Padres’ perfect trade offer for Mets’ Freddy Peralta

Peralta is one of the more interesting trade targets in baseball right now. The two-time All-Star is posting a 3.31 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and 54 strikeouts across nine starts in 2026, continuing the elite form he showed last season with Milwaukee, where he went 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA and 204 strikeouts. The problem for New York is that the Mets are off to a disastrous start, hovering near the bottom of the NL East standings and already generating serious trade buzz around their ace. Peralta is in the final year of his contract and is seeking a 7-8 year extension that the Mets cannot or will not offer. He is one of the most coveted rental starters in recent memory, with the Cubs already circling as early as May 8.

For San Diego, the urgency is undeniable. Michael King is currently the only healthy frontline starter on the roster. Randy Vasquez, Lucas Giolito, and Walker Buehler are filling innings, but none give the Padres a genuine No. 2-caliber arm capable of winning playoff starts. Peralta would slot directly behind King as a co-ace and give San Diego the kind of rotation identity it needs to compete with the Braves, Phillies, and Dodgers in October. The Padres have the prospect capital to make this happen, and they cannot afford to wait until July.

The Perfect Trade Offer

Here is the package San Diego should present to New York:

RHP Garrett Hawkins (Double-A/Triple-A): The 2025 Padres Minor League Pitcher of the Year, Hawkins dominated across two levels with a 1.50 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, and 80 strikeouts in 60 innings. The 6-foot-5 right-hander was on the 40-man roster but was then optioned back to Triple-A. However, he features a high-90s fastball and a plus slider, projecting as a mid-rotation starter at the Major League level. He is the kind of prospect that rebuilding teams, which is exactly what the Mets are becoming, covet for the long haul.

C/1B Lamar King Jr. (High-A): A fourth-round pick in the 2022 Draft, King is a 6-foot-3, 215-pound physical specimen slashing .278/.399/.799 OPS across 115 at-bats in 2026. The son of former NFL first-round pick Lamar King, he is an elite athlete and carries loud, raw power from the right side, drawing comparisons to a future power-hitting catcher with a hit-over-power approach. At just 22 years old, he is ranked among the Padres’ top 15 prospects and projects as a legitimate everyday big-leaguer with impact upside.

Why This Deal Makes Sense for Both Sides

For the Mets, this package offers exactly what a rebuilding franchise needs: a ready-now pitching prospect in Hawkins who could contribute in 2026 or 2027, and a high-ceiling position player in King who addresses a catching need for years to come. New York already surrendered top prospects Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat to acquire Peralta, so they clearly value premium prospect capital. Hawkins and King represent a comparable return for a mid-season rental.

For San Diego, this is the move that saves a season. The Padres have the lineup and bullpen to contend, they just need pitching. Freddy Peralta, under contract for the rest of 2026 at an affordable rate, gives them exactly that. In a division as competitive as the NL West, waiting is not an option.