Why Freddy Peralta would benefit from Mets trading him this season

The New York Mets are heading in the wrong direction this season, and it would not be a surprise if they wound up selling some of their players by the August 3 trade deadline.

While the extent of a sale is still very much up in the air, if they do part with a few players, Freddy Peralta, in the final year of his club control, is an obvious trade candidate.

For Peralta, a trade would actually be a good thing. The reason why was shared by Robert Murray of Fansided.com. Peralta wouldn't simply go to a contender, but he would also see a big benefit when hitting free agency.

Why Freddy Peralta would benefit from being traded by Mets

"On note: if Peralta is traded at the deadline, he wouldn't be eligible for a qualifying offer as a free agent in the winter," Murray writes. "Which would only further bolster what should be an extensive market."

The Mets trading Peralta is very much in play, considering he's a free agent after the 2026 season. If their playoff odds are low by the deadline, trading Peralta would make sense.

And even though this would be the second time that Peralta would be traded in the last year, this would actually be a nice benefit to avoid the qualifying offer.

MORE: Mets projected to still sell at trade deadline by ex-MLB GM

Free agents who receive the qualifying offer typically have a smaller market, with teams hesitant to spend big on a player and lose a draft pick as the price of signing a player.

But, if Peralta can't have the qualifying offer attached to him, then the right-handed All-Star will be sure to draw a bit more interest from free agent suitors, likely increasing the bidding war that's sure to ensue for one of the better pitchers in the game right now.

So, while being traded for the second time this year wouldn't be ideal, the benefit of no longer having to worry about the qualifying offer would be a massive plus. Peralta getting traded would be a good thing, as he'd benefit greatly in his looming free agency.

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