David Peterson was driving home following Wednesday’s doubleheader when he received word from David Stearns that he’d been traded to the Chicago Cubs.
Peterson, the longest-tenured Met, was surprised at first but then looked forward to the new opportunity.
“Obviously some shock in the moment,” he told reporters Friday. “Drafted by the Mets, spent 10 years there, a lot of great memories, great people, but you kind of move on to the next step — it’s the business, so I’m excited.”
That next step presents an intriguing change of scenery for Peterson.
The 30-year-old lefty hasn’t pitched the same since cracking his first All-Star team last year, carrying over his brutal second-half into spring training and the first three months of this season.
He’s been a bit more effective working behind an opener in a bulk relief role, but otherwise has been knocked around, pitching to an ugly 7.71 ERA and 1.95 WHIP as a starter on the year.
Still, Peterson feels good and is confident he can help Chicago’s shorthanded rotation.
“I went through some things early in the year that we needed to clean up,” he said. “I feel a lot better about where we’re at now, I feel like myself back in ’24, ’25 — I’m excited for the opportunity to start and get the routine back.”
One aspect Peterson figures to benefit from is the defensive upgrade behind him.
The Mets’ defense as a whole has been shaky throughout this disappointing season, while the Cubs are among the best in the game in Outs Above Average and runs prevented.
For a groundball pitcher like Peterson, “it’s huge.”
“You look at the guys around the infield and the defense as a whole, it’s hard not to be excited,” he said. “You see them statistically at the top of every list, so I’m excited to have those guys behind me on the field.”
Peterson’s Cubs debut will take place Saturday night in Milwaukee.
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