The New York Mets have some work to do.
Their end-of-season collapse entirely out of the playoffs came in large part because they didn't really have an ace pitcher.
The closest thing they had was David Peterson, who is a reliable lefty but not a true ace.
Peterson isn't going anywhere, though, and the hope is that by the end of the offseason there's a number one pitcher in front of him in the rotation.
The southpaw Peterson is a solid mid-rotation guy, though, and he'll be paid accordingly.
The Mets reached a salary agreement with Peterson on Thursday to avoid the arbitration process, and according to insider Robert Murray, Peterson will get $8.1 million for the 2026 campaign.
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Peterson is coming off a season in which he made the All-Star Game but declined a bit in the second half. He finished the campaign at 4.22 ERA and a 9-6 record.
In 2024, he had a 2.90 ERA.
Peterson has a career 4.12 ERA in the big leagues, which includes parts of six seasons.
The lefty has struck out 8.9 batters per nine innings, but his 3.8 walks per nine is something that holds him back.
The Mets will be counting on Peterson to be reliable in 2026, and now he's under contract officially and ready to roll.
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