The Cubs’ starting rotation has actually done pretty well in 2026, considering they lost Cade Horton for the season after two starts, and now are missing Matthew Boyd with an injury for the second time this year (and Boyd has a 6.00 ERA in five starts in 2026).
The team’s 3.77 starting pitcher ERA ranks seventh among all teams, which is really pretty good considering the injuries. Colin Rea and Javier Assad have done a good job as fill-ins, and Ben Brown will get a chance at a start tonight.
Clearly,
Jed Hoyer will be looking for starting pitching help going forward, particularly as we approach the trade deadline. But that’s two months away and most teams aren’t going to trade a quality starter in early May.
One starter who might become available somewhat soon is Mets right-hander Freddy Peralta.
The Mets are off to a terrible start, currently tied with the Giants for MLB’s worst record at 14-23. They’ve had injury issues and some of the changes they made in the offseason simply haven’t worked. They stand 11.5 games behind the first-place Braves just 37 games into the season.
Would the Mets trade Peralta now? Possibly not; there have been teams that started this poorly who have made the postseason, though it seems unlikely. The Mets lost 12 in a row last month, including being swept by the Cubs, and no team that has had that long a losing streak has ever made the postseason. So maybe they’d be open to a trade now, instead of waiting until the deadline.
Peralta is a pending free agent who turns 30 next month. He’s been consistently good throughout his career and has been so this year as well, entering Friday’s action with a 3.12 ERA and 1.200 WHIP, with just four home runs allowed in 43.1 innings. He’s made at least 30 starts each of the last three years and seems durable. And, Cubs manager Craig Counsell managed Peralta for six years in Milwaukee, so he’s quite familiar with the right-hander.
Also, Peralta is making $8 million this year, so he could likely easily fit into Hoyer’s budget.
Now, what would the Cubs have to give the Mets to get Peralta?
This article suggests sending Kevin Alcántara and Jefferson Rojas to New York in exchange for the veteran right-hander. Those two currently rank third and fourth in MLB Pipeline’s ranking of Cubs prospects. This past offseason, Josh ranked them fifth and third.
So that’s a fairly high price for a rental pitcher, though it’s not impossible that the Cubs could keep Peralta past this year.
Would you make that trade?
