Freddy Peralta has not yet made a regular-season appearance for the New York Mets since being acquired in a January trade from the Milwaukee Brewers, but that hasn’t stopped him from expressing a willingness to remain with the team for the long term.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the All-Star right-hander Freddy Peralta is reportedly interested in signing a long-term extension as he approaches the final year of his current contract with the New York Mets.
Heyman noted that Peralta would like a deal lasting seven or eight years. The pitcher is currently set to earn $8 million this season, after the Milwaukee Brewers previously exercised a club option on his contract before he was traded.
Freddy Peralta, who will be 30 years old during the 2026 season, is coming off the best year of his career. The right-hander posted a 2.70 ERA and led the National League with 17 wins. He also struck out 28.2% of opposing hitters, earned his second All-Star selection, and finished fifth in Cy Young Award voting. Across his eight seasons in Major League Baseball, Peralta owns a 3.59 ERA with an impressive 29.9% strikeout rate.
Looking to add a true ace to lead the rotation alongside young right-hander Nolan McLean—the New York Mets’ No. 1 prospect and No. 6 overall prospect—the Mets traded for Peralta after their pitching staff ranked 18th in MLB with a 4.13 ERA last season. To acquire him from the Milwaukee Brewers, the Mets sent two top prospects: Jett Williams (their No. 3 prospect) and Brandon Sproat (No. 5).
The trade followed major changes to the team’s position-player core. Power-hitting first baseman Pete Alonso and standout closer Edwin Díaz left in free agency, while the Mets also traded longtime contributors Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil as part of their roster reshaping.
Should Peralta secure a seven- or eight-year extension, it would match or exceed the longest contract extensions given to a pitcher. Currently, that designation is held by Justin Verlander (seven-year, $180 million extension with the Tigers in 2013), Félix Hernández (seven years, $175 million with the Mariners in 2013), Clayton Kershaw (seven years, $215 million with the Dodgers in 2014), Stephen Strasburg (seven years, $175 million with the Nationals in 2016) and José Berríos (seven years, $131 million with the Blue Jays in 2021).
