ST. PETERSBURG — The Tampa Bay Rays acquired two-time All-Star right-hander Freddy Peralta from the New York Mets for three Minor Leaguers ranked among the club’s Top 30 Prospects, the teams announced during the Rays’ 9-1 loss to the White Sox at Tropicana Field.
The deal sends outfielder Aidan Smith (Rays’ No. 15 prospect), right-hander Gary Gill Hill (No. 26) and infielder Émilien Pitre (No. 27) to New York and gives the AL-best Rays (65-46) a proven arm ahead of Monday’s 6 p.m. ET Trade Deadline. “We’re excited to welcome Freddy Peralta to the Tampa Bay Rays,” president of baseball operations Erik Neander said. “Freddy is a proven Major League starter with high-stakes experience and a strong track record. Adding a pitcher and competitor of his caliber strengthens our team as we push forward.”
Peralta, 30, is making $8 million this year and is set to become a free agent at season’s end — a relatively modest financial commitment for a pitcher who went 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA and 5.5 Wins Above Replacement over 176 2/3 innings and 33 starts last season in Milwaukee. Over parts of eight seasons with the Brewers, Peralta pitched to a 3.59 ERA across 211 appearances and earned two All-Star selections.
His tenure with the Mets, who acquired him from Milwaukee in January for prospects Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat, was uneven. Peralta posted a 3.10 ERA in his first nine starts before going 2-6 with a 6.44 ERA over his last 13 outings. Once known as “Fastball Freddy” when his four-seam fastball accounted for more than three-quarters of his pitches, Peralta now throws it roughly half the time while mixing in five offspeed offerings. He has lost some extension in his delivery, leading to more hits and walks with a lower strikeout rate.
Rays assistant hitting coach Ozzie Timmons, who overlapped with Peralta in Milwaukee, vouched for the acquisition. “He’s a great teammate. He’s a competitor. He comes every day to work,” Timmons said. “He has really good stuff. I mean, really good stuff. … He has a lot of energy every day. He’ll remind you of Willy Adames a little bit with his energy.”
The Rays had been connected to top available starter Tarik Skubal before he landed with the Dodgers, making Peralta arguably the most intriguing rental starter remaining on the market. Tampa Bay’s rotation is led by 2026 All-Stars Drew Rasmussen and Nick Martinez, two-time All-Star Shane McClanahan — currently on the injured list with a minor back issue — and starter Griffin Jax. “I know he’s going to love this place,” Jax said. “They call him Fastball Freddy. Anytime anybody with a good heater steps on this mound, it’s generally pretty favorable.”
The prospect cost was significant. Smith, a strong defensive center fielder currently with High-A Bowling Green, was part of Tampa Bay’s return for Randy Arozarena two years ago. Pitre is slashing .308/.438/.447 between High-A and Double-A Montgomery this season. Gill Hill had been a consistent starting pitching prospect facing Rule 5 Draft eligibility this offseason.
McClanahan’s back injury created an immediate rotation opening, and manager Kevin Cash said Peralta could fill it as soon as the club’s next series. “I’m very excited, certainly given that Mac is down, to be able to slot him in,” Cash said. That slot comes around Tuesday at Coors Field, where the Rays open a series against the Colorado Rockies.