The New York Mets reached the National League Championship Series last season. The team signed Juan Soto, hoping to reach the World Series this year, but ended up missing the postseason entirely.
One of the Mets’ biggest problems was the starting rotation. The team signed Clay Holmes and Frankie Montas in the offseason. Montas missed most of the season and did not look great when he was healthy. Holmes was solid, but he is not an ace.
The Mets have some young pitchers they could look to build around, but the team needs a true No. 1 starter. Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly predicted the Mets would make a blockbuster trade this offseason to acquire Tarik Skubal.
“The team that would make the most sense for Skubal in an offseason trade is the New York Mets,” wrote Kelly. “Not only do they have an owner in Steve Cohen who will probably be willing to meet the asking price of Skubal and agent Scott Boras next offseason, but they have a major need for an ace in 2026 and pieces that could be of interest to the Tigers in return. Even if we assume that the Mets aren’t going to trade Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong and/or Brandon Sproat could be at the forefront of a trade return for one guaranteed season with Skubal.”
Despite Skubal winning the American League Cy Young Award last season, his suitors in a trade may be limited. He has one year left on his deal, and smaller market teams are not going to want to give up the assets required to add him just to lose him in free agency. However, the Mets are one of the most aggressive teams in the league.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan projected Skubal would sign a $400 million deal in free agency. The Mets are one of the few teams that can afford such a deal. The threat of a potential salary cap could hurt Skubal’s trade value, but if the Mets were to land him, they would be in a great position to win a World Series.
Skubal is likely to win the AL Cy Young Award again. The Mets could have a roster with arguably the best pitcher in baseball, Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor.
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