The Mets’ path back to relevance in 2027 may start with one of the biggest names in baseball: Tarik Skubal.
That’s the idea floating around after FanSided’s Christopher Kline labeled New York an “under-the-radar threat” for the back-to-back AL Cy Young Award winner if he reaches free agency. Skubal was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers a few days before the deadline, but his long-term future is still unsettled. If Los Angeles can’t lock him up with an extension or persuade him to re-sign, the Mets could be waiting.
"The widespread consensus is that Los Angeles was both best equipped to trade for Skubal (check) and best equipped to sign him as a free agent," FanSided's Christopher Kline wrote. "We shall see how CBA negotiations impact the marketplace and L.A.'s ability to continue blowing cash all over the place, but the Mets are an under-the-radar threat here."
New York’s deadline sell-off left the club with a thinner rotation and little room to hide the damage. The Mets moved Freddy Peralta to the Tampa Bay Rays and Clay Holmes to the Chicago Cubs, and their postseason chances are now described as practically slim to none.
That’s where Steve Cohen enters the picture. Kline pointed to the Mets owner’s financial muscle as a major factor in any chase for Skubal, arguing New York could go toe-to-toe in a bidding war if it comes to that.
"Steve Cohen has the deepest pockets in the Majors. If any team can win a bidding war with the two-time defending champs straight up, it's probably the Mets," Kline added.
"New York has a need for frontline starting pitching after the Freddy Peralta trade backfired. Skubal and Nolan McLean is one heckuva one-two punch for the foreseeable future, with the Mets' young core on the verge of a breakthrough - one which Skubal can spearhead."
For a team trying to reset after a rough season, Skubal would be the kind of addition that changes the conversation fast.
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