The life of a big leaguer can be full of change. A former star for the Oregon Ducks on the mound is trading in one set of pinstripes for another as part of an MLB trade on Wednesday night.
Left-handed pitcher David Peterson was traded from the New York Mets to the Chicago Cubs, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The veteran southpaw was drafted in the first round by the Mets in 2017 and has been part of the rotation in the Big Apple since 2020. The Cubs will receive infield prospect Cole Mathis in return.
Peterson has struggled this season, pitching to a 6.09 ERA in 16 appearances. He moved to the bullpen after a slow start and has made spot starts ever since. However, Peterson has a 51.1% groundball rate, which could play well in Chicago behind an excellent defense on the infield.
Trade news: The Chicago Cubs are acquiring left-hander David Peterson from the New York Mets, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 25, 2026
Oregon hasn’t had many arms come through Eugene better than Peterson was. The lefty is second in program history with 282 total strikeouts and first in single-season punchouts with 140 in 2017. In that same season, he became the first Duck in the modern era to become a consensus All-American. He was also a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award.
Peterson was the longest tenured Met on the current roster. Since the Mets have stumbled this season, they will likely trade more pieces before the MLB trade deadline passes on August 3.
Peterson is set to become a free agent for the first time in his career at the end of the year. With a strong finish to the season, joining a Cubs team in desperate need of pitching, he could cash in this winter.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Former Oregon, New York Mets pitcher David Peterson dealt to Chicago Cubs
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