Even though the Mets’ offseason hasn’t quite lived up to expectations, the last few days have at least hinted at a possible turnaround. Landing Bo Bichette, then following it up with Luis Robert Jr., was a huge statement. Still, that doesn’t seem to fully satisfy David Stearns. And there’s a clear reason why.

If you remember, Stearns has been vocal since last year about how important it is to limit opponents’ runs. From that perspective, the Mets still haven’t added a true impact arm.

Yes, they brought in Devin Williams and Luke Weaver, but neither fills the void left by Edwin Díaz.

That’s why Stearns recently shared what he’s still prioritizing this offseason, especially with reports suggesting the Mets are now in the mix for Freddy Peralta.

“My preference is to add a starting pitcher. I’ve been open and honest about that through the entirety of the offseason. I can’t say with certainty that we’ll be able to do that, but we remain engaged on a number of fronts in that market. We’ve still got plenty of time to go in the offseason, plenty of time before Opening Day, we’ll see where it heads,” SNY Mets quoted Stearns.

Well, the starting pitching market has been unusually quiet, and with less than a month to go before pitchers and catchers report, some big names are still available.

Framber Valdez, Lucas Giolito, and Zac Gallen remain unsigned, though Valdez and Gallen come with qualifying offers attached. That means any team signing them would have to give up draft picks, which could complicate their chances of landing big deals.

Meanwhile, Brewers ace Freddy Peralta hasn’t been moved yet, and neither has two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.

The Mets have been searching for pitching from the start, but they couldn’t afford to just sit back and wait for the market to finally heat up. So when Peralta, the Brewers’ $15.5 million arm, became available in trade talks, the Mets naturally jumped into the mix.

And it makes sense.

Peralta is coming off his second All-Star season, posting a stellar 2.70 ERA along with a 204-to-66 strikeout-to-walk ratio. So, if the Mets can meet the Brewers’ asking price, adding Peralta would go a long way toward making this offseason an even bigger success.

The Mets might need to pay a heavy price for Peralta

Well, landing Freddy Peralta would clearly help the Mets, but it wouldn’t come cheap. Why? Because the Brewers are asking for a significant chunk of New York’s farm system, which is where things get tricky.

Milwaukee’s initial request reportedly included top pitching prospect Jonah Tong, but that was quickly shut down. Since then, the Brewers have countered with a new proposal: Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams in exchange for Peralta. That’s still a steep ask, and it’s fair to wonder whether the Mets would be comfortable paying that price.

Williams is currently ranked as the Mets’ No. 3 prospect by MLB Pipeline, while Sproat sits at No. 5. Even so, with Tong and Nolan McLean looking ready to contribute at the big-league level, the Mets might be more open to parting with Sproat if it means landing a true ace.

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So, if Peralta ends up in Queens, the upcoming season will ultimately decide whether the Mets paid too much or made a move well worth the cost.