MLB Insider Pours Cold Water on Freddy Peralta Extension Talks

The New York Mets got aggressive last week in acquiring one of the league's premier starting pitchers to round out what has been a very impressive offseason.

But before Freddy Peralta could even be introduced as a Met, the question became whether the club would be willing and able to lock the ace up to a long-term extension. Peralta is set to hit free agency at the end of the season if he chooses to play out the final year of the five-year, $15 million pre-arbitration extension that he signed back in 2020 with the Brewers. Making just $8 million next year, the 29-year-old right-hander is in line to land a deal similar to what Dylan Cease (seven years, $210 million) and Ranger Suarez (five years, $130 million) got in this year's free agency cycle.

While it would seem wise for Peralta to wait it out for his payday, it's also fair to assume that the Mets, who gave up two top five prospects for him, would look into an extension to prevent the possibility of their investment turning into just a one-year rental. But David Stearns, despite the extensive financial resources at his disposal courtesy of Steve Cohen, is generally unwilling to offer long multi-year contracts to pitchers given the injury risk associated with the position.

Just a day after the trade was announced, there was some buzz regarding Peralta's willingness to sign an extension in New York. As Tim Britton and Will Sammon of The Athletic reported, the Mets front office is focused on 2026 and won't push for an extension until both sides have some level of comfortability. On Peralta's side, sources told Pat Ragazzo of On SI that he is open to an extension with the team.

Sources: Freddy Peralta is open to signing a contract extension with the Metshttps://t.co/f96a8CVuUe
— Pat Ragazzo (@ragazzoreport) January 22, 2026

Peralta was asked about the possibility in his introductory Zoom call on Tuesday but was hesitant to lean one way or the other, saying “I just got here. I think that I’ve got to share time with my teammates, think about different ideas, learn about everybody, coaches, the organization in general, and then we can see.”

MLB Insider 'Can't Imagine' Freddy Peralta Extension

While refusing to divulge any specifics, Peralta's comments left the door cracked open for the many fans who are anticipating a multi-year extension to be announced any day. But according to former Mets GM and MLB Network insider Steve Phillips, fans should temper their expectations.

"Peralta is coming off of one of the most club-favorable contracts ever," Phillips said in an appearance on MLB Network. "He's not gotten his payday yet and he's 29-years-old, he'll pitch at age-30 in 2027, he's gonna want a payday."

"David Stearns has been reluctant to give any starting pitcher more than a three-year deal, that's why he traded for Peralta, he didn't want to sign Framber Valdez for five years or [Ranger] Suarez for five years," he continued.

"Yes, he may be open to it... but unless the Mets change their philosophy, I can't imagine they'll get a deal done."

"I can't imagine they get a deal done before he goes to free agency."@StevePhillipsGM believes Freddy Peralta will be highly motivated this season in New York 👀 pic.twitter.com/XGqzFqDwLa
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 28, 2026

According to Phillips' estimation, there will be two main sticking points in potential negotiations between Peralta and the Mets. First is Peralta's motivation to test the open market regardless of a potential desire or willingness to remain in New York. Barring any significant injury, the frontline starter would almost certainly be leaving some money on the table by taking an extension so early.

Second, Phillips points out Stearns' unwillingness to go longer than three years for starting pitching. While it is true that the Mets could throw a high AAV extension on the table with Cohen's backing, their hesitance to go beyond 2030 may be a non-starter for Peralta's camp having seen what the big-name pitchers got this offseason.

If the Mets are ultimately motivated to get a long-term extension done, we can expect that it won't come until the season is well underway. And even if both sides are keen on a reunion, we shouldn't be surprised to see Peralta hit free agency anyway and bring his figure back for the club to match it.

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MLB Insider 'Can't Imagine' Freddy Peralta Extension

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