Mets' final depressing act of this season can be helping Braves with blockbuster trade

The New York Mets haven't put it together in the 2026 MLB season.

A big offseason was supposed to lead to a contending campaign. Instead, they're trending toward selling at the trade deadline.

The final, painful irony would be helping out an NL East rival, but the team that needs Freddy Peralta the most may be the Atlanta Braves.

The Mets traded for Peralta from the Brewers in the offseason in the hopes of having an ace to lead them to glory.

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Instead, Peralta is playing out his contract year for a team that probably won't get any October use out of him.

Thus, ESPN's Jeff Passan names Peralta as the "best match" for the Braves heading into deadline season.

"Over the past six weeks, the Braves' offense has reverted to the 2024 and '25 versions of itself: plenty of name value, limited production," Passan writes. "Atlanta's rotation, however, remains the priority, and while Hurston Waldrep is back, AJ Smith-Shawver on his way and JR Ritchie available to board the Gwinnett train and pitch when necessary, the Braves desire something more certain. And even if certainty isn't exactly what Freddy Peralta has provided for the Mets this season, there's enough history there for Atlanta to treat him as the upgrade he would be."

There are other pitchers out there, and maybe the Braves don't make the Mets feel bad and instead go a different direction. The conclusion, though, is that Atlanta is going to get pitching.

"Maybe it's Peralta, and maybe it's Michael Wacha, and maybe it's one of a dozen other starting pitchers available," Passan writes. "Whatever the Braves choose, their needs happen to align with the market's clear strength, and there are fewer sure bets at this deadline than Atlanta getting a starting pitcher."

Mets fans would want to just turn their TVs and not even look if the 2026 season ended with Peralta pitching meaningful games for the Braves and not for them.

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