Peralta’s Free Agency Will Be An Exercise In ‘How Much?’

Former New York Mets starter Freddy Peralta failed big in the World Series on Monday night, but according to Will Sammon of The Athletic, that doesn’t mean he won’t get paid. Sammon surveyed a group of scouts to answer the obvious question of “how much,” and he came up with some fascinating answers. 

Start with Peralta being the second-best starter on the market after Tarik Skubal. The gap between them is big, and Peralta is part of a second tier group that also included Michael King and Clay Holmes, which makes it clear that this isn’t a particularly strong free agent class when it comes to starters. 

The numbers Sammon threw out had Peralta landing in the range of the deal Dylan Cease got with the Toronto Blue Jays, which was $210 million for seven years, although a lot of Cease’s money is deferred. Two scouts Sammon surveyed thought he was worth it, with one citing his “electric” fastball and improved changeup, and another says he thought Peralta had already answered the questions about his worth. 

That’s remarkable considering just how bad Peralta was in the first half of the season with the Mets, when he became one of the worst starters in baseball. It also speaks to the desperation to find viable starting pitching, as Peralta’s overall ERA in ten starts with the Tampa Bay Rays was 3.25. 

That means Peralta made that hypothetical money in six starts in September. He had an ERA of 0.79 during that stretch, which is an amazingly small sample size. 

Some scouts did raise caution flags about giving Peralta that kind of money, however. One raised the issue of whether Peralta could maintain his high arm slot over time, which is certainly something the Mets learned about when the right-hander’s arm slot began dropping during his time in New York. 

There was also pushback over his time with the Mets, when he pitched to a 4.99 ERA in 22 starts, per Sammon. Peralta clearly benefitted from the tutelage and guidance of two of the best pitching coaches in the game in Chris Hook of Milwaukee Brewers and Kyle Snyer of the Rays. 

It’s Peralta himself who should consider this feedback. The Rays were able to fix his problems with a communication style that worked, and that’s invaluable. No amount of money in free agency can duplicate it, which is why Peralta should consider taking a deal with Tampa Bay, even if it involves shorter length or less money.