David Lennon: Mets pitchers Freddy Peralta, Clay Holmes likely headed elsewhere as MLB trade deadline nears
Mets starting pitcher Clay Holmes delivers against the Yankees during the first inning of an MLB baseball game at Citi Field on May 15, 2026. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
The trade deadline officially arrives at 6 p.m. Monday, but the Mets have a few internal clocks ticking on two of their most coveted assets, Freddy Peralta and Clay Holmes, which should telegraph those moves in relatively short order.
Let’s begin with Peralta, since he’s scheduled to start Friday against the Marlins, a dubious decision if the Mets choose to actually go forward with him taking the mound. Since he’s already ticketed to go, there seems no upside to risk him throwing another pitch in Flushing, so it will be interesting to see if Peralta is at the very least scratched to buy more time on the negotiating front.
As of Thursday afternoon, interim manager Andy Green nodded yes, Peralta remains listed to take his regular turn against the Marlins.
“At this present moment, that’s what we anticipate,” Green said.
In the meantime, there’s no shortage of suitors for Peralta, with Atlanta, the Brewers, Dodgers, Rays and Padres among the most aggressive teams hunting for a playoff-tested starter. Also, Peralta’s market could be impacted by other available arms, such as Tarik Skubal, whose trade would then create a frenzy for the next tier of front-line starters.
Until things heat up, and names come off the board, the Mets won’t feel an urgency on Peralta — but there’s no point in pitching him again before Monday, either. As a pending free agent, with only $2.82 million left to be paid this season, Peralta is priced to sell and seemingly a safe change-of-scenery bet once he’s rescued from a sinking ship like the Mets.
Peralta does have plenty to prove though, carrying a 4.99 ERA over 22 starts and trending in the wrong direction. On Sunday, in what many believed to be his final appearance in a Mets uniform, Peralta needed 93 pitches to make it through four innings. He also is 0-4 with a 7.92 ERA since June 20, a stretch of seven starts, while averaging roughly 4 1⁄3 innings.
For buyers, that’s not exactly a confidence booster. But Peralta appears physically fine, always a plus. And he is coming off a fifth-place finish for the NL Cy Young, so there is potential, even if Peralta didn’t flash that ability nearly enough for the Mets. After Sunday’s start, it sounded like he had one foot out the door.
“If it happens, it happens,” Peralta said. “I’m thankful and grateful to be part of this organization. I know so far that I’ve let them down. I haven’t done what I’m supposed to do.”
At this point, David Stearns can only scramble to recoup some of his losses on Peralta, who cost the Mets a pair of top-100 prospects in Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams last January. Stearns won’t get anywhere near that for the two-month rental Peralta, but he’ll definitely sweeten his deadline haul with the trade of Holmes, who should be the bigger prize of the two.
Holmes had been back burner since fracturing his fibula in mid-May, but with a seamless recovery process — and a smooth rehab start Tuesday for Class A St. Lucie — his return to the mound couldn’t have come at a more beneficial time for Stearns & Co. Unlike Peralta, who has struggled for the past five weeks, Holmes posted some pretty impressive numbers before taking Spencer Jones’ 111-mph comebacker off his leg during the Subway Series. He had a 2.39 ERA over nine starts, averaging nearly six innings during that span.
There’s no reason to think Holmes can’t duplicate that performance at his next stop, but the Mets seem to be leaning toward having him pitch one final showcase in Flushing, which presumably would be Sunday’s series finale against the Marlins. Holmes threw 59 pitches over four scoreless innings in Tuesday’s second rehab start, which suggests he’ll be good for roughly 75 at the major-league level the next time out.
Green was cagey about the Mets’ plan for Holmes, other than to say he’ll throw his scheduled bullpen session Friday with the expectation of him lining up for Sunday’s start. That would seem unnecessary in terms of trading Holmes, who already has a sterling resume that includes successful stints on the New York stage, along with October pressure as a reliever for the Yankees.
As a closer-turned-starter, Holmes also has the experience to be used in either a bullpen or rotation role for a contender, an added bonus. Although not technically a free agent, Holmes will almost certainly opt out of his current deal, which is worth $12 million for next season. Given his stellar run with the Mets, as a converted starter, Holmes could double that annual salary on a new multiyear deal this winter. Although the Mets valued Holmes as their de facto ace this season — and certainly would want to retain him — trying to work out an extension at this date was too difficult to calculate heading into a cloudy financial offseason for the sport.
Another signal that Peralta and Holmes are headed elsewhere, sooner rather than later? The Mets haven’t pitched Kodai Senga, in any capacity, since July 10 as he’s likely being held back to step into the pending rotation vacancy this weekend, potentially Friday for Peralta.
“You might imagine he throws regularly,” Green said. “Keeps the arm moving.”
Senga’s last start was June 23, when the Cubs ripped him for seven runs in 3 2⁄3 innings, so there’s good reason he’s been relegated to a bulk-relief role. Expect to see more of him in the very near future, however
David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a voter for baseball's Hall of Fame and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.
