Cubs not linked to Freddy Peralta, but another Mets starter who could be their ace

Cubs not linked to Freddy Peralta, but another Mets starter who could be their ace originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . Reports had indicated that the Chicago Cubs could look to make a trade with the New York Mets for starting pitcher Freddy Peralta.

Peralta figures to be one of the best starters on the trade market at this deadline, and unless the Mets don't look to move on from him, there's no reason why he won't be the best starter available, barring something insane happening like the Detroit Tigers trading Tarik Skubal. However, the Cubs have a few different ways they can go with all of this. If the Cubs believe they still need starting pitching at that point, which is all but clear as they've been banged up with injuries, trading for a guy like Peralta would make a lot of sense.

There are other players, however, that could be a fit in Chicago, and one of them is Clay Holmes of the Mets. “The Mets are again shaping up to be one of the biggest flops in baseball history. It’s unlikely they will start selling soon.

But come July, if they’re still out of it, these are two particular names to monitor… “Holmes is a ground-ball machine, and that would fit in nicely with a rotation that loves to rely on its defense. Holmes holds a $12 million player option for 2027 that will likely be declined, as long as he stays healthy,” Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic wrote . The Cubs can really pick it defensively in the infield, paired with Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner at second base.