Let’s not rush to judgment about the Mariners’ decision to trade away Freddy Peralta. In the realm of professional sports, it's all too common for teams to find their choices scrutinized and criticized well after the fact. However, anyone who claims they foresaw the Seattle Mariners making a colossal error by trading Peralta to the Milwaukee Brewers over a decade ago is simply not being truthful.
In December 2015, Peralta was included in a trade package sent to the Brewers as part of the deal to acquire Adam Lind—a former Silver Slugger who had once received AL MVP votes. Fast forward to today, and Peralta is again making headlines following his recent trade to the New York Mets, who are optimistic that he can inject new life into their pitching rotation and the team overall.
This situation is particularly significant because Peralta just wrapped up an outstanding year, achieving personal bests that included a 5.5 bWAR, leading the National League with 17 wins, an impressive 2.70 ERA, and a remarkable 154 ERA+. He demonstrated his durability as well, recording career highs with 33 starts and 176.2 innings pitched. His stellar performance earned him an All-Star selection and a fifth-place finish in the NL Cy Young Award voting.
One can’t help but ponder what might have been had Freddy Peralta remained with the Mariners. It’s understandable that Mariners fans are left wishing that he still wore their colors—particularly since their current pitching rotation is already quite formidable. Adding to the frustration is the fact that Adam Lind, who initially seemed like a valuable acquisition, ended up having a lackluster season with a career-low -0.3 bWAR and faded from the game entirely by 2017. Nonetheless, any assertion that the Mariners erred in this transaction can only be made through the lens of hindsight, and even then, it requires several years of context.
When the Mariners brought in Lind, he had just completed a solid 2015 season, achieving a career-high 3.6 bWAR and tying for the second-most RBIs of his career with 87. He was perceived as a versatile player with considerable experience and success at designated hitter, first base, and left field, expected to contribute positively to a team led by new manager Scott Servais.
Contrastingly, Freddy Peralta was one of three minor league pitchers traded to Milwaukee, and he wasn't regarded as a standout talent at that time. Baseball America ranked him as the Mariners' 15th prospect ahead of the 2016 season, with limited expectations for development. The publication described him more as a potential back-end starter or reliever rather than a future ace.
It’s also essential to remember that Jerry Dipoto, who expressed a strong interest in acquiring Lind, was still relatively new to his role as the Mariners' general manager when this trade occurred. Even during Peralta's second season in the majors with the Brewers in 2019, there were no signs of the pitcher he would eventually become. That year was a struggle for him, marked by disappointing stats including a -0.7 bWAR, 5.29 ERA, and a 1.459 WHIP.
It wasn't until 2021, however, that the now 29-year-old finally began to showcase his true potential, earning his first All-Star nomination in Major League Baseball. Today, he stands poised to emerge as a key figure for the Mets, with the opportunity to secure a significant contract once he becomes a free agent following the 2026 season.
Feel free to lament the Mariners’ choice to let Peralta go and express frustration toward Lind for having one of the most challenging seasons of his lengthy career during his time in Seattle. However, don’t pretend that you knew back then that Peralta was on the path to becoming a star pitcher; if you do, you’ll rightfully face skepticism about your claims.
