MLB rumors: Mets working on trade for Brewers ace Freddy Peralta; Cardinals eye veteran outfielder
Here are Wednesday's most notable MLB moves and murmurs
Major League Baseball's offseason continues to wind down, with just three weeks remaining until pitchers and catchers report for camp across sites in Arizona and Florida. That doesn't mean teams can just take it easy until then, however, since several top free agents remain unsigned, including left-hander Framber Valdez and outfielder Cody Bellinger. Below, CBS Sports has compiled all of Wednesday's most notable murmurs and moves in one spot for your convenience.
Mets, Brewers talking Peralta trade
The Mets in Brewers are in talks about a trade that would send ace Freddy Peralta to New York, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Now 29, Peralta is one of only 11 pitchers to make at least 30 starts in each of the last three seasons, and he's also notched three straight seasons of at least 200 strikeouts. With an $8 million salary for 2026, his walk year, he's also a massive bargain from the club standpoint. The Mets have had a fairly active winter, but they still need a frontline presence in the rotation. Peralta would certainly meet that need.
The Peralta negotiations come after the Mets and White Sox agreed to a three-player swap late Tuesday night headlined by outfielder Luis Robert Jr. In return, the White Sox acquired utility player Luisangel Acuña and right-handed pitching prospect Truman Pauley.
The Mets have had a busy winter overall, adding Robert, Bo Bichette, Marcus Semien, Jorge Polanco, and others while bidding adieu to mainstays like Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil, Brandon Nimmo, and Edwin Díaz.
Cardinals interested in outfielder
Count the Cardinals among the clubs to show interest in veteran outfielder Austin Hays, per the New York Post.
Hays, 30, spent last season with the Reds. In 103 games, he batted .266/.315/.453 (105 OPS+) with 15 home runs and seven stolen bases. Throughout his career, he's been more effective against left-handed pitchers, posting an .819 OPS with the platoon advantage (as opposed to a .717 mark without).
That platoon split makes Hays a sensible target for a Cardinals roster that, as of the moment, features several left-handed outfielders and corner players, including Alec Burleson and Lars Nootbaar.
In addition to the Cardinals, Hays has been linked to the Yankees (who just re-signed Cody Bellinger), Mets, and other clubs throughout the offseason.
Twins, Red Sox make trade
The Twins have acquired infielder Tristan Gray from the Red Sox in exchange for minor-league catcher Nate Baez, the teams announced Wednesday morning.
Gray, 29, has appeared in 47 big-league games to date in his career, most recently appearing in 30 contests with the Rays in 2025. Although he's only posted a 77 OPS+, he has shown a feel for making authoritative contact, as demonstrated by his 46.8% hard-hit percentage. (The league-average is around 40%.) He figures to compete for playing time on the Minnesota infield.
Baez, 24, hit .278/.371/.423 in 96 games last year across High- and Double-A. He's a former 12th-round pick by way of Arizona State University.
