Sources: Rays acquire Freddy Peralta in trade with Mets

NEW YORK CITY -- The Tampa Bay Rays are acquiring right-hander Freddy Peralta in a trade with the New York Metsin exchange for three minor leaguers, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan on Sunday.

Peralta will join Drew Rasmussen, Shane McClanahan and Nick Martinez in one of the American League's best rotations as the first-place Rays try to hold off theNew York Yankees and Boston Red Soxin the AL East.

In return, the Mets get outfielder Aidan Smith, infielder Emilien Pitre and right-hander Gary Gill Hill, sources confirmed to ESPN amid multiple reports.

The move concludes Perata's forgettable tenure in New York. The Mets traded two top prospects for the two-time All-Star, along with right-hander Tobias Myers, in January to bolster the top of their rotation alongside rookie Nolan McLean. Peralta was coming off his best season with the Milwaukee Brewers, logging a 2.70 ERA over 33 starts. The Mets believed Peralta solidified a championship-level pitching staff.

But the Mets, sitting in last place six months later, did not receive that version in a disastrous season. Peralta instead is having the worst campaign of his career. He leaves New York with a 4.99 ERA in 113 2/3 innings across 22 starts. While he avoided injury and took the ball every five days, he failed to pitch into the sixth inning in 11 of the 22 outings and failed to complete five innings in 15. His strikeout rate has tumbled from 28.2% last season to 22.1% this season while his whiff rate has plummeted from 30.1% to 26.8%.

Peralta is the second veteran the Mets have unloaded since Thursday, joining reliever A.J. Minter, with more moves expected before Monday's trade deadline. Starter Clay Holmes, relievers Luke Weaver and Huascar Brazoban, and outfielders Tyrone Taylor and Luis Robert Jr. are among the other potential trade candidates.

Smith, 22, was a fourth-round pick in 2023. He's batting .209 with 10 home runs, 16 steals, and a .672 OPS across three levels this season, topping out at High A.

Hill, 21, has 4.43 ERA in 15 starts in Double A this season. The Westchester County native was taken in the sixth round of the 2022 draft.

A second-round pick in 2024, the 23-year-old Pitre is slashing .308/.438/.447 with 9 home runs and 32 steals in High A and Double A this season.