Cubs may have avoided trade deadline nightmare after Freddy Peralta, Casey Mize debuts

Kevin Gausman is set to make his Chicago Cubs' debut tonight against the Kansas City Royals, and the hope is that it will go better than the first starts Freddy Peralta and Casey Mize had with their respective new teams after the trade deadline.

In the days leading up to the deadline, the Cubs were closely connected to Peralta. It was clear that the Cubs and Mets were an ideal match to connect on another trade after their David Peterson deal earlier this season, and Peralta felt like a natural fit, considering the connection to Craig Counsell.

Fortunately, the Cubs and Mets matched up on deal involving Clay Holmes and Tyrone Taylor, because Peralta's first start with the Tampa Bay Rays was a disaster. Peralta didn't make it out of the fourth inning of his start against...the Colorado Rockies, giving up seven runs on nine hits.

That was always the biggest concern with Peralta. While both Holmes and Peterson had metrics from this season with the Mets that suggested they would find success with the Cubs, there was no such indicator with Peralta's numbers this season. A trade for Peralta would have been taking a gamble on him becoming the version he was with the Milwaukee Brewers, and there was nothing to bank that confidence on.

Cubs might steered clear of a disaster in Freddy Peralta and Casey Mize

As for Mize, the concerns really weren't with his numbers this season. He was having a strong year with the Detroit Tigers, but over his last three starts, there was a concerning dip in velocity. Had the Cubs traded for Mize, it almost certainly would have triggered the unfortunate memory of what Michael Soroka was last season.

Similar to Peralta with the Rays, Mize didn't last through the fourth inning of his first start with the San Diego Padres. Against the Arizona Diamondbacks, he gave up eight runs on nine hits, including three walks. If there's a silver lining, it's that his fastball velocity returned to mid-90s.

It's one start for Peralta and Mize, so the book isn't entirely out yet. Not to mention, it's possible that Gausman and Holmes have a stinker in their respective debuts with the Cubs over the weekend. That said, if they don't, it's a reminder that identifying the trade targets to avoid is just as important as the ones a team does acquire. I tho

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