The New York Mets are one of the teams that many speculate will have an interest in pending free agent and Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal. However, that might not be the case, and the reality may be that neither New York team can pursue Skubal this winter.
Since joining the Dodgers after a midseason trade, Skubal has a record of 2-2 with an ERA of 2.93 and 48 strikeouts in seven appearances, per StatMuse. Moreover, the veteran pitcher is arguably one of the best pitchers in baseball and a bona fide No. 1 starter.
Nonetheless, Zachary Rotman of FanSided is iffy on whether the Mets would consider spending $400 million-plus on the 29-year-old who will turn 30 in November.
“The New York Mets have Steve Cohen, and he, alone, can pay for Skubal and not even feel it,” Rotman wrote in a Sept. 11 article. “The Mets also have David Stearns, though, and he’s notoriously against giving older pitchers massive long-term deals. Will he make an exception for Skubal? Maybe. Will Cohen overrule Stearns in this one circumstance? Maybe. I’ll need to see it to believe it on both fronts, though.”
Mets’ president of baseball operations David Stearns could look to have it his way and potentially explore the trade market rather than splurging on Skubal to bolster the starting rotation. Nonetheless, owner Steve Cohen does have the final say, but last offseason, he did let Stearns go about his business.
Yankees Might Not Be a Serious Suitor for Tarik Skubal
Meanwhile, could the New York Yankees decide to bring Skubal to the Big Apple if the Mets decide he’s too expensive? Rotman doubts the current Dodgers starter will be pitching in the Bronx.
“The New York Yankees should never be completely counted out, but they have Gerrit Cole, Max Fried and Carlos Rodon under contract through 2028, at least, at over $25 million annually each,” Rotman added in his article.
“Are they really going to take on another massive pitching contract, especially when they have the likes of Cam Schlittler, Ryan Weathers, Will Warren and Clarke Schmidt under club control? I have my doubts.”
As a result, if Rotman’s take is accurate, neither New York team may feel compelled to spend the significant amount of money it will take to land Skubal in free agency.
Mets Urged to Stay Away from Dodgers’ Tarik Skubal
Rotman isn’t alone in being iffy about the Mets deciding to hand a mega contract to Skubal. Recently, David Lennon of Newsday Sports revealed his concerns about paying Skubal $50 million over 10 years, citing the pitcher’s elbow injury this season.
For Lennon, it would be wise to steer clear of Skubal because the risk isn’t worth the reward of signing him in free agency.
“Skubal is a good guy to go there for, but I can’t do that,” Lennon said on Sept. 11 on SNY’s YouTube channel. “I’m not in that. The elbow thing kind of freaks me out from earlier in the year, too. I know he’s come back and pitched well after that, but when you see those little elbow things keep popping up, they could be bigger, bigger problems in the future.
“So that type of commitment, I know when you’re making it for a pitcher of that age, you’re building in the Tommy John surgery, all the other major surgeries, hoping you get a championship or two in the meantime. That’s just a huge commitment to lay out right there.”
Dodgers’ Tarik Skubal Receives Skeptical Mets, Yankees Take