The Atlanta Braves could be on the hunt for starting pitchers in free agency, and Freddy Peralta could be a great target for them.
Peralta was acquired by one of the Braves National League East rivals, the New York Mets, last offseason, but he was unable to put up the same numbers he did for the Milwaukee Brewers. With free agency nearing, the Mets traded him to the Tampa Bay Rays at the trade deadline, and they got him back on track.
The Braves have Chris Sale, AJ Smith-Shawver, Spencer Schwellenbach, Grant Holmes, Bryce Elder and Spencer Strider as potential rotation options right now. The team also views Didier Fuentes as a starter long term. Tyler Mahle and Martín Pérez are both free agents, and it’s unclear if Strider can ever be the same pitcher he was before the injuries. They need to address the rotation, and paying Peralta would be a good start.
He posted a 3.25 ERA in 10 starts with the Rays to finsih the regular season. He had a 0.79 ERA in his final six regular season starts with the Rays, and has been brilliant in the postseason so far.
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The Mets are likely already kicking themselves for not figuring out how to get the best out of Peralta. The Braves could really make things sting if they signed Peralta to a long-term deal, and the Mets had to face him in the division for the next few years.
Adding Peralta alone won’t fix the Braves rotation, but it would be a good start. Bringing back Pérez and Mahle would also help. A rotation of Sale, Peralta, Pérez and Mahle could set the Braves up for a deep run in October.
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