MLB.com: Rays, Mets Reportedly Agree to Trade Freddy Peralta to Tampa Bay for Three Prospects

MLB.com reported Sunday, citing sources, that the Tampa Bay Rays have agreed to acquire two-time All-Star right-hander Freddy Peralta from the New York Mets in a trade that would bolster Tampa Bay’s rotation ahead of the deadline. MLB.com said the teams had not confirmed the deal at the time of its report.

According to MLB.com, the Mets are expected to receive three Rays prospects: outfielder Aidan Smith, Tampa Bay’s No. 15 prospect; right-hander Gary Gill Hill, No. 26; and second baseman Émilien Pitre, No. 27.

If completed, the move would fit the final days before Major League Baseball’s trade deadline, which MLB.com said is Monday at 6 p.m. ET. The Rays would be adding an established starting pitcher for the stretch run, while the Mets would be turning a pending free-agent starter into prospect depth.

Peralta, 30, is a two-time All-Star who joined New York only this year. The Mets acquired him from the Milwaukee Brewers in January 2026, making a reported deadline deal to move him again a swift change in direction.

MLB.com reported that Peralta endured a rough stretch this season, posting a 6.67 ERA over 11 starts from May 23 through July 20. Even so, he arrived in New York with a longer track record of success: MLB.com noted that he had a 3.59 ERA over eight seasons with Milwaukee before the Mets acquired him. Peralta is in the final year of the five-year, $15.5 million extension he signed with the Brewers and is earning about $8 million in 2026, according to contract reporting and databases cited in the research.

For Tampa Bay, the reported deal would represent a relatively straightforward deadline buy, adding a veteran arm with a significant major league résumé. For the Mets, it would signal a decision to sell, moving a short-term asset for three prospects after less than a full season in Queens.

As of MLB.com’s report on Aug. 2, however, the trade remained source-based and had not been made official by either club.