The Atlanta Braves were among the teams vying for former Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta early in the 2026 offseason. It seemed the perfect move for a franchise that dealt with seemingly endless rotation injuries a season ago.
Adding Peralta not only would've eased this concern but given the Braves a clear edge in competing with the Philadelphia Phillies or the Los Angeles Dodgers at the top of the National League. Instead, not only did Atlanta miss out on what was a very affordable trade, but it came at their own expense, with the division rival New York Mets winning the bidding war for Peralta on Wednesday night.
It is an unfortunate reality that forces the Braves to face that it is no longer just the Phillies they will be contending with for the National League East. The Mets added Peralta on top of already bringing in shortstop Bo Bichette and outfielder Luis Robert Jr.
It is a series of moves that puts New York back into the division conversation and points out that Atlanta hasn't done enough to close the gap on the top teams in the National League.
Braves Dealt a Huge Blow by Mets' Freddy Peralta Trade
Landing Peralta would've changed this and given the Braves a potential rotation of Peralta, Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach, and Hurston Waldrep. This would've handed the Braves a rotation capable of having an advantage over any current postseason contender in the National League. Instead, the Braves are back to the drawing board and clearly need another splashy move ahead of the 2026 season.
Peralta went 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA in 33 starts this season, pointing to a clear top of the rotation ceiling as he finished fifth in the NL Cy Young race. Now, this ability will be working against the Braves with a Mets team that has gone from an offseason laughingstock to a clear wildcard and division contender. New York had previously lost Brandon Nimmo, Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil, and Edwin Diaz.
While these losses still sting, it is clear that the recent flurry of moves has changed perspective and pushed New York back into relevance. It is a frustrating byproduct of a move that the Braves could've made, putting themselves among the top NL contenders and cementing what had been an incredibly strong offseason.
Now, the franchise will need to find another splashy move that completes the roster and makes Atlanta a clear threat to loaded Dodgers and Phillies rosters. Choosing to sit with the current group is betting on rebounding players and injury luck that has eluded the Braves for each of the past two seasons.
No question, losing Peralta was not only a frustration but ensured the team must make another notable move ahead of Opening Day.