Cubs Acquire David Peterson from Mets for 1B Prospect Cole Mathis
It looks like the Cubs have officially pushed the Mets into sell mode. Not long after the two teams wrapped up the second game of their Wednesday doubleheader, they completed a trade that will see lefty David Peterson swap uniforms in exchange for minor league infielder Cole Mathis. The Cubs’ second-round pick in 2024 out of the College of Charleston, Mathis was ranked No. 13 in the organization by MLB Pipeline.
That’s a relatively steep price to pay for a swing starter who’s only made 30 appearances only once in parts of seven seasons, and who currently has a 6.09 ERA over 16 total outings this year. Then again, we looked yesterday at how the opportunity costs have gone up in light of all the pitching injuries the Cubs have suffered. And with Mathis pretty well blocked at both corner infield spots, not to mention being on the IL with an undisclosed injury, his value as a trade chip was somewhat limited.
There’s also a sense that the Cubs may be able to get Peterson back to the stronger performances he’s displayed in the past. He’s always generated a lot of grounders with his sinker and a fastball that also has sinking properties, and we know how badly the Cubs have struggled with allowing homers. He also gets elite extension from his 6-foot-6 frame, so he can be more deceptive in reality than what his stuff might look like on paper.
Neither fastball variation has worked well this year, with the four-seam being particularly bad as reduced ride means it stays in the zone. Peterson’s changeup has been his worst offering on a per-pitch basis, which isn’t great when combined with the hard stuff being so spotty. As trite as it sounds, a simple change of scenery might help.
Peterson was drafted by the Mets at No. 20 overall out of Oregon in 2017, so they’re the only organization he’s ever known. That familiarity could have turned into complacency for at least one side, particularly as the Mets continue to fail miserably despite all their spending. Working with fresh eyes and voices could help Peterson to break through whatever’s been holding him back lately,
It will also help that he’ll be pitching in front of an elite defense, which should see his ERA settle closer to his 3.85 FIP. The Cubs lead all of MLB with an aggregate 37 outs above average, 14 ahead of the second-place Dodgers, while the Mets are in 20th place with -8 OAA. If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say Hoyer is betting big on positive regression.
