After a lack of big-time free-agent signings or trades, the New York Mets could be in a position to make a major move. This week, Tarik Skubal and the Detroit Tigers missed the Jan. 8 deadline to settle a contract and avoid arbitration.
ESPN reported on Jan. 8 that the two-time defending American League Cy Young winner is aiming for a record $32 million in salary arbitration. Meanwhile, the Tigers responded with a $19 million offer, setting up a potential $13 million gap if the case reaches a hearing.
In an SNY video posted on Jan. 10, Laura Albanese stated that the way the Tigers are handling the Skubal situation opens the door for any team to make its move, whether it be a trade or a free-agent signing next offseason.
“It’s absolutely possible that Skubal will get traded because of this, because the fact of the matter is the Tigers might win this arbitration case, but the Tigers might not,” Albanese said on “Baseball Night in New York.”
“If they don’t settle before that hearing, suddenly they don’t want to pay $32 million, because that’s the only two options. It’s not like they can go somewhere in the middle if they don’t settle before they go in front of the council over there.
“When that happens, suddenly you’re like, ‘Well, we’ve already burned this bridge.’ It’s not like we’re going to be able to extend Skubal now, because we have not only brought him to arbitration, but we’ve probably trashed him in front of three arbiters, because in telling him that, ‘Okay, a two-time Cy Young award winner isn’t worth $32 million.’“
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Furthermore, The Athletic’s Brittany Ghiroli shared her thoughts on the Skubal situation, which doesn’t bode well for the Tigers.
“I don’t think that they’re going to extend him no matter what,” Ghiroli said on the same broadcast. “Even if the Tigers had said, ‘Hey, we’re gonna pay you $40 million, Tarik Skubal,’ he’s not going to be extended this close to free agency…
“I think that when you go before the arbitrator and you argue that this star in the space of your franchise is not good and it’s not worth all this money that he’s asking for, it does damage that relationship long term. Now, Skubal is going to hit free agency no matter what the Tigers say, but it’s something that kind of sits there in the back of your mind.”
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The Mets have the farm system to acquire Skubal and the money to pay him long-term. However, even though they are seen as a possible destination, CBS Sports MLB writer Matt Snyder made a Jan. 8 appearance on CBS Sports HQ and noted that if Detroit were to trade Skubal, the likeliest landing spot would be the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“I think [the Tigers should] shoot [their] shot with one year of Skubal and then say, ‘We’ll see you later after this year,'” Snyder said. “I could totally be wrong on that. If he does go, I feel like the most likely destination is the Dodgers.
“I’ll also say, like you can see the Yankees jumping on there. You could see the Mets. You could see the Cubs. By no means would it be just the Dodgers, but I do think that if the Tigers are serious about trading him before the season starts, the most likely trading candidate would be the Dodgers.”
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