The New York Mets are going to be one of baseball’s most fascinating teams to watch this offseason.
After underperforming in such a significant way this season, the expectation is that the Mets will be very active in free agency. It is understandable, as they want to be contenders and have a lot of work to do with their roster to become that.
One of the biggest rumors surrounding the Mets is their expected pursuit of Los Angeles Dodgers superstar pitcher Tarik Skubal. It is very easy to understand why New York is being linked to him. They desperately need pitching help, and Skubal is baseball’s best pitcher. Thus, the Mets making a major push for him this offseason simply makes sense.
Now, with the Dodgers getting swept by the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS, the Mets have gotten a very good prediction regarding the Skubal sweepstakes.
New York Mets Get Great Tarik Skubal Update Before MLB Free Agency
In a recent Bleacher Report article, Zachary D. Rymer named the Mets as the “top contender” to land Skubal this offseason in free agency.
“The Mets are the top contender for Skubal because of course they are. Steve Cohen may not be MLB’s richest owner anymore, but his track record speaks for itself,” Rymer wrote.
“Under him, the Mets have had MLB’s No. 1 Opening Day payroll in three of the last four years. And while president of baseball operations David Stearns clearly falls on the risk-averse side, Cohen has been known to put his finger on the scale until it climbs all the way to $765 million. That was for Juan Soto, of course, and there’s no denying that the Mets need his equal on the mound. Their starting rotation was a disaster this year, ranking 23rd in ERA and rWAR,” Rymer added.
Seeing the Mets be named the most likely team to land Skubal right now is certainly encouraging. It is also understandable, as they are in desperate need of a true superstar pitcher. Due to this and New York’s desperation to be contenders, it would not be shocking if they make a major push for Skubal this offseason.
Mets Landing Skubal Could Be Game-Changing
If the Mets landed Skubal this offseason, it could be game-changing. He is baseball’s top pitcher and would significantly improve New York’s starting rotation. This would undoubtedly help the Mets’ chances of being a playoff team again next offseason because of it.
Skubal is a two-time Cy Young Award winner who was once again great this season. In 26 games in 2026, he had a 12-7 record, a 2.72 ERA, and 186 strikeouts. This marked the fourth season in a row that he had a 2.80 ERA or lower. With this, he would be a spectacular pickup for the Mets if brought in.
New York Mets Get Great Tarik Skubal Update Before MLB Free Agency