Freddy Peralta up-and-down season may have his free agent suitors feeling a little skittish.
The Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Peralta is expected to earn a one-year “make-good” deal in free agency this winter, Jeff Passan of ESPN reported this week. Passan notes that Peralta looks less likely to receive a nine-figure contract despite the relative weakness of this year’s free agent class.
Peralta, a two-time MLB All-Star and a former NL wins leader, will be one of the more accomplished pitchers on the market behind Tarik Skubal. But Peralta is coming off a forgettable stint with the New York Mets (going 5-9 with a 4.99 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP over 22 starts before being traded to the Rays in August).
That said, Peralta has been pitching slightly better in Tampa Bay. Over his first seven starts for the team, Peralta owns a 3-2 record with a 4.35 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP.
While Peralta is not missing bats like we are used to (just 6.6 K/9 thus far for the Rays), he still has more time to prove himself before free agency. Tampa Bay sits at an AL East-leading 87-59 right now, so Peralta could really resurrect his value with a strong performance in October.
Before the 2026 season started, we learned that Peralta was primed for a major ask in free agency. Though his subpar year has all but ruined his hopes for such a deal, Peralta could still have an avenue there by taking that expected one-year prove-it deal this offseason.
