Cubs Rumors: Possible Mets fire sale could gift Chicago blockbuster trade

It's early, but two things have been made clear for the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs are one of the best teams in baseball, and with injuries to Matthew Boyd, Justin Steele, and Cade Horton, Jed Hoyer and Co. will look to make an early trade to bolster their starting rotation if one becomes available. The Cubs may have already identified the pitcher they want.

Marquee Sports Network's Bruce Levine reports that the Cubs are among the teams that have already expressed an interest in New York Mets starting pitcher Freddy Peralta. The Mets have been one of the biggest disappointments of the 2026 season, and if they become sellers ahead of the trade deadline, Peralta is certain to be on the move.

Freddy Peralta...from foe turned friend?

One of the last memories Cubs fans have of Peralta in a Milwaukee Brewers uniform was when he may have been rattled during the NLDS. Cubs fans were dousing Peralta with "Freddy" chants in Game 4 of the NLDS at Wrigley Field. Peralta labored through four innings of work, totaling 84 pitches while giving up three runs on three hits and two walks.

The Brewers, in typical Milwaukee fashion, traded Peralta ahead of the final season of an affordable seven-year extension he signed ahead of the 2020 season. No one could have imagined that less than two months into the 2026 season, the Mets would already be considering moving their big-ticket offseason addition.

Along those lines, the impression from Levine's report is that the Mets aren't exactly ready to surrender the 2026 season. It makes sense with how the Mets have operated in the past, but they are already facing a double-digit deficit in the National League East. Already nine games under .500, if the Mets don't right the ship this month, it would seem that Peralta trade talks would intensify.

A free agent after the season, trading for Peralta certainly wouldn't have the same price tag as a potential deal with the Miami Marlins for Sandy Alcantara or the Minnesota Twins for Joe Ryan. That reality has likely heightened the Cubs' interest in Peralta, not to mention the fact that he is an established top-of-the-rotation arm.

No, we're not quite on full Peralta trade watch, but given the connection with Craig Counsell, this certainly is the rumor to monitor in the weeks ahead.

UPDATE: Bruce Levine retracts original reporting of Cubs' interest in Freddy Peralta

In a preview of how quickly things can evolve with trade rumors during the season, Levine has already retracted the reporting of the Cubs' interest in Peralta.

In theory, Peralta remains an ideal fit for the Cubs if he does become available at the deadline. For now, it seems that Levine may have been overzealous with his reporting.

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