Cardinals Named Surprise Fit for Mets Star Freddy Peralta

The perception of the St. Louis Cardinals has completely shifted since the beginning of the 2026 Major League Baseball season, to say the least.

When the season began, the expectations around the league for the Cardinals were that the season was going to be a tough one. After trading Nolan Arenado, Brendan Donovan, Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray away, the chatter around the Cardinals was much more about which veterans will be traded next, rather than whether the team could be good in 2026. The Cardinals have outperformed all expectations on the season so far, to say the least. St. Louis is 40-31 on the season and is just 4 1/2 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for first place in the National League Central. The Cardinals have the No. 1 National League Wild Card spot right now as well.

The young Cardinals have shocked the baseball world and now the buzz out there is about who the club should consider adding, rather than subtracting. On Wednesday, ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel shared a column ranking the top-100 trade candidates around the league along with the chances of a deal and best fits. They gave Freddy Peralta of the New York Mets a 90 percent chance of being moved and mentioned the Cardinals among the best fits for him.

The Perception Around St. Louis Has Shifted

Jun 14, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) pitches in the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

"No. 11. Freddy Peralta, RHP, New York Mets," McDaniel and Passan wrote. "Chance of being traded: 90 percent. Rest-of-season impact: Moderate. Years of control: Just the rest of 2026. The buzz: Teams are thrilled that Peralta has gotten off to a middling start with the Mets. Unless New York goes on a run, it has to trade the 30-year-old. Why? Because of the Mets' spending over the luxury tax, the best compensatory draft pick they can reap for him comes after the fourth round. ...

"Even better: Peralta is making $8 million this season, an awfully attractive figure for low-payroll teams. ... Best fits: Guardians, A's, Padres, White Sox, Cubs, Cardinals, Rays, Diamondbacks, Blue Jays, Braves."

Now, it's important to note that it would be pretty surprising to see the Cardinals trade any elite prospects away for a rental. Peralta is cheap right now, but he's going to be a free agent at the end of the season and surely is going to land a lucrative deal somewhere. Right now, this shouldn't be considered anything more than a pipe dream, although it would be awesome.

Michael McGreevy has a 2.99 ERA in 14 starts. Dustin May has a 3.75 ERA in 14 starts. Andre Pallante has a 3.76 ERA in 14 starts. Imagine adding Peralta to this group? A fun idea, although unlikely.

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