The Mets' fire sale is officially underway, and the first domino to fall is a big one. Freddy Peralta, the two-time All-Star the Mets brought in over the offseason to anchor the rotation, is now a Tampa Bay Ray. Reportedly, the deal sends 3 prospects back to Queens, and the reaction from fans has been swift and brutal.
A Barstool personality broke down the Peralta trade from the stands, calling it the first of several deals to come.
The math on this one stings. The Mets acquired Peralta from the Brewers this offseason by giving up Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat, betting he'd replicate his excellent 2025 season. Instead, he posted a 5-9 record with a 4.99 ERA across 22 starts, a complete flop that made him the obvious trade chip once New York decided to sell. Now he lands with a Rays team that's actually trying to win, slotting into a rotation with Drew Rasmussen, Shane McClanahan and Nick Martinez as Tampa Bay chases the AL East.
Mets Twitter did not take the news well. One fan didn't hold back, ripping the front office directly for what the return looked like on paper.
What a fucking disgrace selling at getting straight trash
That frustration is aimed squarely at president of baseball operations David Stearns, who's now overseeing what looks like a full teardown just months after the Mets were supposedly buyers. The same fan account went on a run of posts venting about Stearns specifically, questioning both the strategy and the return.
David Stearns is the worst thing that ever happened to the Mets
Whether the 3 prospects Tampa Bay sent back (reportedly outfielder Aidan Smith, second baseman Emilien Pitre and righty Gary Gill Hill) turn into anything remains to be seen, but fans aren't waiting around to find out before passing judgment. And with the deadline still looming, the expectation among the fanbase is that Peralta is just the appetizer, not the whole meal.
For a franchise that opened the year with playoff aspirations, watching a former All-Star get flipped for a package of names nobody's heard of is a gut punch. If this is the first domino, Mets fans better brace themselves, because the rest of the roster might not be far behind out the door.