With the Tampa Bay Rays entering the second half of the season with the best record in the American League, the team must be thinking about preparing themselves for October baseball. However, while the team has been good, there are still some areas they could look to improve. Even though the second half of the campaign hasn’t started great for the Rays, they are still one of the best teams in baseball right now. Tampa Bay has exceeded all expectations, and with the trade deadline quickly approaching, they should be an aggressive team on the buyer's market. There has been a lot of speculation about what the plan might be for the Rays before the deadline. Going after a player like Luis Arraez to help the lineup makes a lot of sense. Furthermore, adding the electric Mason Miller could help the bullpen. However, one team that is getting ready to be sellers is the New York Mets, and they have some interesting players that might make sense for the Rays. According to Hector Gomez, Tampa Bay is among the teams interested in Mets starter Freddy Peralta. Peralta Makes Sense for Rays SOURCE: The #Brewers have emerge as the top suitor to get starting pitcher Freddy Peralta before the trade deadline.#Braves and #Rays are showing a lot of interest in him, too.@z101digital— Héctor Gómez (@hgomez27) July 18, 2026Due to New York’s struggles this season, they are expected to make most players available for trade this summer, including the pitcher who was one of their top offseason prizes. This past summer, the Mets pulled off a big trade with the Milwaukee Brewers for Peralta, with the hopes that he would be the ace of their staff. With Peralta not living up to expectations, this trade has quickly become a regrettable one for New York. So far this season, he has totaled a 5-8 record and 4.66 ERA. Considering he totaled a 17-6 record and 2.70 ERA for Milwaukee last year, it has certainly been a major step backward. However, for a Rays team that is looking to improve, taking a shot on Peralta for the second half could make a lot of sense. The right-hander is going to be a free agent at the end of the season, meaning the cost to acquire him shouldn’t be too high. Furthermore, with him hitting the open market, he should be highly motivated to pitch well in the second half and in what will likely be October baseball for Tampa Bay. Overall, while adding another starter might not be the top need for the Rays, having another arm capable of starting and winning a postseason game is never a bad thing. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow