Sources: Peralta arranged Soto-Lindor meeting

NEW YORK -- Veteran pitcher Freddy Peralta, whose brief tenure with the New York Mets ended unceremoniously Sunday with his trade to Tampa Bay, called a meeting earlier this season for franchise cornerstones Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor to clear the air. With tension lingering into their second season as teammates, multiple sources told ESPN that Peralta in June arranged for the two stars to vent and work through their disconnect. Since then, sources told ESPN, Lindor and Soto's relationship has been noticeably warmer, with the players interacting more often. "It was as men, not baseball players," a source said of the meeting. Peralta confirmed that the meeting occurred but declined to disclose details of the conversation. Lindor acknowledged the meeting took place but downplayed its significance. "It was more of a conversation like we always have with our group of Latinos," Lindor said in Spanish. "But I don't want to comment on the details." Soto denied such a meeting happened before confirming that the relationship between him and Lindor has improved this season. "There was no meeting, no discussion," Soto said in Spanish. "This year has been better. We've gotten along very well. We've learned from each other." David Stearns, the Mets' president of baseball operations, declined comment to ESPN. While both Soto and Lindor have repeatedly denied that a rift ever existed between them, their relationship has been a topic of discussion and speculation since Soto joined the team for the 2024 season after signing a record-breaking 15-year, $765 million contract. The chatter immediately trickled into this season after Soto's locker, which had been near Lindor's last season, was moved across the clubhouse and a frosty interaction during Opening Day pregame introductions spread on social media. On July 1, with the Mets' postseason hopes on life support, Mets owner Steve Cohen confirmed the stars' relationship was an issue that has improved in a podcast interview with The New York Post when he was asked if the Mets could become a winning team with them as the centerpieces. "I don't see them going anywhere," Cohen said. "And, frankly, I think that's a story that was last year's story and that actually I am told -- and believe strongly -- that these guys are getting along much better. And so I just don't see it as an issue anymore." The Mets' roster underwent a drastic offseason transformation under the direction of Stearns after failing to reach the postseason in 2025. The franchise's four longest-tenured players -- Brandon Nimmo, Pete Alonso, Edwin Diaz, and Jeff McNeil -- were either traded or signed elsewhere, leaving Lindor and Soto as the veteran core to build around. The quartet, fan favorites as well as longtime contributors, were replaced via free agency and the trade market. In November, second baseman Marcus Semien was acquired from the Texas Rangers for Nimmo. In January, over the course of a week, Bo Bichette signed a three-year, $142 million contract to play third base, Luis Robert Jr. was acquired from the Chicago White Sox, and Peralta, along with right-hander Tobias Myers, was acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers for two top prospects. By spring training, the Mets were widely considered World Series contenders. Instead, injuries and underperformance derailed the overhaul, ultimately costing manager Carlos Mendoza his job in June. The Mets envisioned Peralta, coming off a career year with a second All-Star nod and 2.70 ERA, starring atop their rotation alongside rookie Nolan McLean. But Peralta, 30, is having his roughest full season as a major leaguer with career worsts in ERA, WHIP and strikeout rate ahead of reaching free agency. The struggles helped sink the Mets to the National League East basement, prompting the front office to trade eight veterans in the five days leading into Monday's trade deadline. Behind the scenes, however, his reputation as a clubhouse connector came as advertised. Bilingual with a magnetic personality, Peralta, a native of the Dominican Republic, quickly emerged this season as a respected leader before taking the initiative to serve as a mediator for the franchise's two pillars. It could end up being his greatest contribution as a Met, one that could leave a mark long after his departure.