Cubs receive strong Freddy Peralta warning they simply cannot ignore

The Chicago Cubs have been the most polarizing team in all of baseball this season, as they put together a couple of 10-game winning streaks earlier in the campaign only to come apart at the seams the last couple of weeks.

The Cubs have lost nine straight and have gone just 2-13 over their last 15 games and are now just one game in front of the Pittsburgh Pirates for last place in the NL Central.

A litany of problems have plagued Chicago recently, ranging from its shaky starting rotation to its suddenly anemic offense, but the former is definitely seen as the bigger issue for the Cubs moving forward.

As a result, Chicago is expected to add at least one starter between now and the trade deadline, and New York Mets pitcher Freddy Peralta has regularly been floated as a possibility with the Mets sitting in the basement of the NL East heading into June.

But would Peralta actually represent the best option for the Cubs? Nick Deeds of Cubbies Crib doesn’t think so.

Chicago Cubs hit with stern warning on Freddy Peralta

On the surface, Peralta’s numbers look solid. He owns a 3.52 ERA and has allowed just 51 hits over 61.2 innings of work. However, the right-hander’s other statistics are cause for concern.

Peralta is suddenly surrendering four walks per nine innings, his highest mark since his rookie year back in 2018. His 9.2 strikeouts per nine innings are a career low, as is his 2.33 K/BB. Additionally, Peralta’s 4.13 FIP is an indication he has gotten a bit lucky.

Deeds finds himself worried about Peralta’s peripherals, and deservedly do.

“A downward trend in strikeouts with an upward tick in walks is a recipe for disaster, and while Peralta has been able to hold it together so far, teams pay for confidence when buying an ace,” Deeds wrote. “There’s little reason at this point to have more confidence in Peralta than another veteran mid-rotation arm like Boston’s Sonny Gray or even Kansas City’s Kris Bubic, and trading for one of them is unlikely to be nearly as costly as paying for Peralta’s pedigree.”

To be quite frank, Peralta has never been a true ace. Yes, he posted a 2.70 ERA during his final season with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2025, but he owns a lifetime 3.58 ERA. He’s been generally good, not great, so the Cubs will definitely have to be careful in trade discussions.

Perhaps Chicago should look elsewhere when it comes to adding a top-end arm.

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