Most of David Stearns’ work this offseason revolved around improving the lineup and defense, even though he made it clear he wanted to upgrade the rotation, as well.
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He went to a familiar face in order to finally upgrade that starting staff when the former Brewers general manager traded for his former player Freddy Peralta late Wednesday night.
“Freddy has clearly established himself as one of the top starters in baseball, one of the most consistent starters in baseball, over the past few years,” Stearns said on a Zoom call Thursday from Citi Field. “He’s a player I know well. A player I trust. A player I think will mesh very well with the organization and the team and our city.”
Stearns called Peralta, coming off a career-best season, “a starter who can pitch in the top half of our rotation.”
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Perhaps the two main concerns regarding the transaction — which also brought right-hander Tobias Myers to Queens for prospects Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams — are whether Peralta can duplicate his success from a year ago and whether the Mets will be able to keep him beyond this season.
The 29-year-old Peralta is due to become a free agent for the first time after this season and some opposing scouts believed the Mets paid a high price for what could be a one-year rental.
Freddy Peralta celebrates in the fifth inning during Game Two of the National League Championship Series presented by loanDepot against the Dodgers on Tuesday, October 14, 2025. MLB Photos via Getty Images
Stearns declined comment on whether an extension has been discussed, but acknowledged there’s never a guarantee of that happening when you trade for a player.
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“I think as you evaluate a transaction where a player is under contract for a relatively short amount of time, you have to assume a player is under contract for a relatively short amount of time and make the transaction with those assumptions.”
For now, though, Peralta certainly gives the Mets an upper-echelon starter to join a group that includes Clay Holmes, David Peterson, Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea and Nolan McLean, with other promising young arms like Jonah Tong and Christian Scott waiting in the wings.
David Stearns introduces infielder Bo Bichette at his introductory press conference at Citi Field, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, in Queens, NY. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
“We like our rotation,” Stearns said. “We think being able to add Freddy is something of a stabilizing force to help lead our rotation.”
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Asked if the team had the ace it lacked last year, Stearns said, “I think we have multiple starters in our rotation who, at various points in their career, have pitched as No. 1 starters. Certainly, Freddy qualifies as that.”
He also noted that McLean was able to “flash potential as a No. 1 starter last year,” as well as the fact that Manaea and Senga have also looked like top-of-the-rotation arms in the past.
And Stearns is also confident Peralta hasn’t reached his height yet.
“He emerged as a really quality leader in the clubhouse with the Brewers,’’ Stearns said. “He’s constantly getting better. I had a front-row seat to that in his development during his first few years at the major league level [in Milwaukee]. He was never satisfied. He wants to get better.”
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Peralta threw a career-high 176 ²/₃ innings in 33 starts for the Brewers last season, but has been roughed up in the playoffs, with a 5.56 ERA over his last five postseason starts since 2023.
After trading Luisangel Acuña as part of a package for Luis Robert Jr., the Mets acquired utility infielder Vidal Bruján from the Twins on Thursday for cash.
The 27-year-old played for three teams in 2025, combining for a .616 OPS in 60 games split among the Cubs, Orioles and Braves. He was selected off waivers from Atlanta a week ago. The Mets will need to open a spot on the 40-man roster to add Bruján, who must be sent through waivers in order to be sent back to the minors. … The Mets announced that Dick Scott would return as manager at Triple-A Syracuse. Michael Collins, who was on the Astros coaching staff for the past eight years, will manage Double-A Binghamton.
