White Sox linked to 3.55 ERA Mets ace in trade that would make no sense

The Chicago White Sox came into the 2026 season not a legitimate postseason contender, but entering June, it's impossible to deny that the White Sox are a serious threat this October.

Munetaka Murakami is awesome, Colson Montgomery continues to look great, and Davis Martin is a legitimate Cy Young candidate this season. But if the White Sox want to actually contend this season, they will need to make a few trades at the deadline.

CBS Sport's Mike Axisa named the White Sox as a potential trade fit with a 3.55 ERA All-Star ace in Freddy Peralta from the New York Mets. While he'd be a fun addition to this team, this fit doesn't actually make much sense for the White Sox.

White Sox linked to Freddy Peralta trade that makes no sense

"The Cubs have already kicked the tires," Axisa writes on a Peralta trade. "For the sake of variety, let's also list the Diamondbacks and White Sox (!) as potential Peralta destinations."

Peralta has a 3.55 ERA this season and is one of the best pitchers any team could trade for this season. But, as good as he is, and as cheap as he'd be compared to his talents, both monetarily and in a trade package, he doesn't make sense for the White Sox.

Chicago is a rebuilding team, and while they're a legitimate postseason contender this season, it's still way too soon to be making these kinds of trades.

Peralta is strictly a rental, and very likely to hit free agency and leave for some other team after the 2026 season comes to a close.

MORE: Ex-MLB GM projects White Sox to sell at trade deadline despite 2026 success

Even though he'd make for a nice pickup for the White Sox, in reality, there are many better options for the White Sox in the starting pitching trade market this season.

Sandy Alcantara, for example, would be great. He's not just a rental, and as a former ace, he could join Martin and form a nice one-two punch atop the rotation.

While the White Sox could use Peralta or another rental option like Tarik Skubal or Robbie Ray, they should instead be looking for multi-year options.

Axisa named the White Sox as a potential trade destination for Peralta, but such a fit doesn't make much sense. The White Sox are building for a long-term future, not an all-in season, which a rental like Peralta would be categorized as.

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