The Mets are heading into a crucial offseason with the same problem staring them in the face again: they need more pitching, and they need it badly.
After a 2026 season that went off the rails early and ended with New York missing the playoffs, the focus has already shifted to 2027. The rotation is at the center of everything. The bullpen also needs work after the Mets dealt away four relievers at the deadline, but the starting staff is the real priority if this team wants to keep pace in a stronger NL East.
As SI’s Tommy Kelson put it, “After finishing nine games worse than the previous year, the New York Mets enter a pivotal offseason with several holes to fill. Upgrading the starting rotation remains a top priority, but the Mets also need to revamp their bullpen after trading away four relievers at the deadline,”
That need becomes even more obvious when you look at what the Mets already have. Their lineup still features some of the most dangerous position players in baseball, and Nolan McLean gives them a young arm with real frontline potential.
SNY’s Chelsea Janes called that out directly: “The Mets need starting pitching. They’ve needed it for several years now.
In 2025, their depth evaporated down the stretch, so they missed the playoffs. In 2026, their depth imploded early, so they never recovered.
To make the playoffs in 2027, they will need more of it. Exactly what they have, and therefore what they need, is in the eye of the beholder.
But a few things are indisputable: Nolan McLean looks like a No. 1,”
That’s where Tarik Skubal enters the picture.
MLB Trade Rumors’ Darragh McDonald believes the Mets will land the two-time Cy Young Award winner, giving New York a chance to pair McLean with one of the game’s premier left-handers. McDonald wrote, “Every team is going to want Skubal, but the reality is that few teams will be comfortable with a contract that pushes north of $300MM - and possibly north of $400MM.
The incumbent Dodgers will be in the mix but are already well-stocked with rotation arms. The Mets can go toe to toe with the Dodgers from a financial standpoint and have a much more acute need for rotation help,”
That kind of move would change the look of the staff immediately. McLean may be the future, but he is still early in his major league career and could run into bumps along the way. Skubal would give the Mets a proven ace to anchor the rotation, take the ball every fifth day, and stabilize the group when things get messy.
It would also force the Braves and Phillies to deal with another dominant lefty every time they line up against New York. And if the Mets did land Skubal, they’d have the kind of top-end one-two punch that could let them chase another quality starter to finish building out the rotation.
The Mets have spent enough time coming up short. Adding the best arm on the market would not fix everything, but it would send a clear message and give the fan base something real to rally around.
In Other News...
Dodgers Make First Offseason Move As Ex-Coach Exit Raises Questions
The Dodgers got an early start on the offseason by adding a veteran utility player who had already been traded twice during the 2026 season, a move that fits their usual habit of stocking up on versatile depth before the roster picture sharpens. It is the kind of low-profile transaction Los Angeles often makes quietly, but it also arrives at a time when the organization is dealing with a less routine bit of business behind the scenes.
Former Dodgers hitting coach Aaron Bates said he was essentially forced out of the organization and is now looking for his next opportunity, adding another layer to a winter that already has some uncertainty attached to it. On the player-development side, top prospect Josue De Paula is expected to spend the offseason working with a Gold Glove outfielder after a strong Double-A season and his MLB debut, though any plans for that training could be complicated if the looming lockout slows down normal offseason work. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers May Regret Letting This Trade Asset Lose Its Value
The Dodgers season ended in disappointment against the Brewers in the 2026 National League Championship Series, and the fallout is already turning to the roster decisions that helped shape the year. Even after the club swung big by landing Tarik Skubal before the trade deadline, Los Angeles still fell short of a three-peat, leaving the front office to sort through which pieces actually moved the needle and which ones quietly lost ground along the way.
Alex Call is one of the more interesting names in that conversation. He was not moved at the deadline, but his role faded as the year went on, and he was left off the postseason roster entirely. Now the Dodgers have a looming November 20 non-tender deadline to consider, and if they pass on him, he would hit free agency with no return coming back to Los Angeles. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Face A High-Stakes Race For An Ace This Offseason
Tarik Skubal is shaping up to be one of the biggest names on the pitching market this offseason, and the Dodgers are already being linked as a serious suitor. With the Cubs and Mets also in the mix, the race for the left-hander looks like it could turn into one of the defining bidding wars of the winter, especially for a Los Angeles club that is never shy about chasing elite talent.
The price tag is expected to be enormous, with projections landing in the $300 million to $400 million range, which would put any pursuit under a bright spotlight. Timing may matter just as much as money, though, because the looming MLB lockout and possible changes to the collective bargaining agreement could shape when teams move and how aggressively they try to close a deal. [Read more 🡒]