Mets, Freddy Peralta seem to have understanding about possibly signing extension before Opening Day

Not long after the New York Mets acquired advertised ace Freddy Peralta from the Milwaukee Brewers earlier this offseason, the 29-year-old who is set to reach free agency after the 2026 season wraps up suggested he could be open to signing an extension with the club before Opening Day. 

Unsurprisingly to those familiar with Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns, it sounds like no deal will be inked this month. 

"Highly unlikely" Mets, Freddy Peralta do this

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post (h/t SNY), it is now considered "highly unlikely" that Peralta will sign an extension before the upcoming season gets underway. 

As far back as March 2, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic noted that Peralta "would prefer to go long and" sign a deal that would allow him to finish his career with that club. For Thursday's update, Heyman pointed out that Stearns is opposed to locking down any pitcher for such a long period of time and instead is "more comfortable with something in the range of four years, or perhaps five."

Why some thought Freddy Peralta could be a different case regarding an extension with the Mets

Stearns' stance regarding not wanting to sign free-agent pitchers to long-term deals has been consistent, if not completely understandable. However, Stearns had to pay a heavy price to ensure that Peralta would be the Mets' Opening Day starter versus the Pittsburgh Pirates next Thursday. 

Specifically, the Mets sent the Brewers pitcher Brandon Sproat and infielder/center fielder Jett Williams in return for Peralta and fellow pitcher Tobias Myers. At the time of the trade, Williams was listed as the Mets' third-best prospect, while Sproat was fifth. 

It is, of course, far too early to even guess how Peralta's relationship with the Mets will evolve and/or otherwise change over the next six months or so. Additionally, it's unclear how what seems to be an inevitable lockout will impact Stearns' plans for the Mets' long-term future.

For now, Stearns will simply hope that Peralta proves to be a worthwhile get through at least this coming fall.