Mets eye Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal. Can they assemble the massive prospect package to secure this ace and fix their rotation?
The New York Mets have been linked to the game’s top starting pitcher, Tarik Skubal, since the offseason began. Although there hasn’t been any movement and trade talks with the Detroit Tigers haven’t seemed to heat up too much, the threat of New York landing the southpaw ace is still as present as ever.
In the latest Bleacher Report article by Tim Kelly predicting the top landing spots for players being thrown around in trade rumors, the Mets were tabbed as Skubal’s best fit.
“While [Mets’ president of baseball operations David] Stearns has remade the lineup and bullpen so far, it was the starting rotation that failed the Mets the most down the stretch in 2025," Kelly wrote. "They lacked a stopper. Obviously, Skubal fits that bill as well as anyone right now.”
Though the haul it would take to land Skubal would be enormous, New York has many assets available that may be enticing enough for the Tigers to ship out their ace a year before he hits free agency. The Mets have multiple starting pitching prospects in Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong, and Brandon Sproat, though it’s extremely unlikely McLean would be involved in a deal after his dominant start in the MLB at the end of 2025.
On the other hand, New York would be much more likely to include Tong and/or Sproat as the main attraction of a potential blockbuster deal. As Kelly pointed out, the Mets also have some veteran bounce-back candidate arms that could draw some interest from Detroit in a trade.
The Mets would have the assets necessary for such a blockbuster, but the question is whether or not the Tigers are willing to pull the trigger. Heading into his final season before free agency, Skubal is expected to demand huge amounts of money with his next contract.
Coming off two consecutive Cy Young-winning campaigns, there’s no question that Skubal is the American League’s best arm. 2025 was his third straight season with a sub-3.00 ERA, posting a ridiculous 2.21 ERA in his last campaign. Across 195 ⅓ innings last season, the 29-year-old struck out 241 batters and recorded a league-leading 0.891 WHIP. Skubal’s also a proven playoff ace, holding opponents to a 2.04 ERA across 39 ⅔ innings of playoff action in his career.
Landing an ace of Skubal’s caliber and a proven No. 1 playoff starter would tremendously raise the Mets' ceiling in 2026. Owner Steve Cohen would likely be willing to spend the several hundred million dollars it would take to extend Skubal in the event of a trade, but the Mets are at the mercy of the Tigers' front office.
Detroit is looking likely to keep Skubal in the Motor City for his final season before free agency, meaning New York may have to wait until the 2026 offseason to make a bid for possibly the greatest arm in baseball. But if the Tigers decide they’re ready tomaximize the value of their ace, no doubt will be calling their phones.