Steve Cohen Strikes Back: Mets Acquire Freddy Peralta After Dodgers Steal Kyle Tucker

Steve Cohen was not going to let the Los Angeles Dodgers have the last word. 

One week after L.A. swooped in and landed Kyle Tucker, a move that slammed the door on the Mets’ own pursuit, New York responded the only way a billionaire owner with World Series expectations knows how: going all-in, again. 

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Mets acquired Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers from the Milwaukee Brewers late Wednesday, sending Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat in return.

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 04: Freddy Peralta #51 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrates after retiring the side against the Chicago Cubs during the fifth inning in game one of the Division Series at American Family Field on October 04, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Peralta is not an arm that feels like a gamble. The two-time All-Star is coming off the best season of his career, posting a 2.70 ERA (176 ⅔ innings) across 33 starts. This is the Mets' guy, should they reach the race in October. 

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The 29-year-old also comes at a bargain as Peralta is owed just $8 million in 2026, a steal in a market where far lesser arms make far more. 

The Mets have now transformed a patchwork pitching staff into a high-octane rotation capable of anchoring a deep postseason run. 

By landing Peralta, David Stearns secured the NL Cy Young-caliber arm the team lacked in 2025, pairing him with a healthy Kodai Senga to form a formidable one-two punch.

With Sean Manaea and Clay Holmes providing veteran stability, and Nolan McLean emerging as a high-strikeout arm, the Mets have shifted from a rotation built on questions to one more rooted in confidence.

For Cohen, it is a solid ‘win-now’ move, strengthening the rotation without blowing up the payroll as he tends to do. 

"What an incredible week. Let’s go Mets !" Cohen posted on X, adding the unnecessary space like a true billionaire.

Last week, Cohen fired off his now-infamous "smoke" tweet, fueling expectations of a franchise-altering move surrounding the star outfielder in Tucker, only to later admit nothing was actually coming. At the time, it felt like another familiar tease, only meant to set up disappointment.

This time was different … the smoke was real, and instead of backtracking, Cohen finally cashed in when it mattered most.

With Peralta locked in at a bargain price, New York finally has a frontline arm it can trust every fifth day. 

In a division that no longer feels like a Braves or Phillies coronation, and a league where the Dodgers cannot collect everyone — though they've tried — the Mets have pushed themselves squarely back into the fight.

Now the Mets have to prove it on the mound.

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