The Mets are going to be linked to Tarik Skubal, and for good reason. A two-time Cy Young Award winner is the kind of arm that changes a winter, but landing him won’t be simple. If he reaches free agency, Skubal could command the biggest contract ever for a starting pitcher in MLB history.
That means the Mets need a backup plan, because the rotation still needs help whether Skubal ends up in Queens or not. If they miss on the headline name, there are still paths they can take - one that would feel like a dream, one that makes a lot of sense, and one that would be a trap.
Michael King would be the dream outcome if Skubal slips away. The right-hander has an opt-out in his deal this offseason, so he could hit the market.
He’s coming off a strong year with the San Diego Padres, going 12-10 with a 3.21 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 127 ERA+, 4.13 FIP, 159 strikeouts and a 4.3 bWAR across 32 starts and 185 innings. He also handled the postseason well, posting a 0.64 ERA in three appearances, including two starts.
King checks a lot of boxes. He’s already proven he can pitch on a big stage, and he’s done it consistently.
Before his time in San Diego, he spent his first five major league seasons with the Yankees. If the Mets land him as their pivot from Skubal, he’d bring both reliability and veteran presence to a rotation that includes Nolan McLean, Christian Scott and Zac Thornton.
A more realistic route might be Clay Holmes, and a reunion would make plenty of sense. Holmes signed a three-year, $38 million deal with the Mets before the 2025 season, making the move from elite reliever to starter.
In Queens, he delivered a 16-12 record and a 3.26 ERA in 42 appearances and 40 starts. He was off to a strong start in 2026 too, carrying a 2.39 ERA through nine starts before a May outing ended with a broken leg after he was struck by a comebacker.
After the injury, the Mets traded Holmes to the Chicago Cubs at the deadline, and he finished with a 4.25 ERA over his final nine starts. Because he’s a ground-ball pitcher, any return would also put a spotlight on the Mets’ infield defense. Still, a new deal feels plausible, especially with Holmes expected to opt out this offseason.
The move to avoid is trading for Drew Rasmussen. On the surface, the Tampa Bay Rays right-hander looks appealing, but the cost would be too steep for what the Mets would actually be getting. Rasmussen has a $20 million club option for 2027 and would be a free agent after next season if that option is picked up, which means the Mets would be paying in prospects for one year of control.
That’s not the kind of deal they should chase. Rasmussen will be 32 next season, has had multiple elbow surgeries and has only three strong campaigns in a seven-year career.
Giving up significant assets for a short-term rental would be a bad bet, especially after the Mets already made a similar move for Freddy Peralta that didn’t pay off. The chances of keeping Rasmussen long term would also be slim because of his age and injury history.
In Other News...
Francisco Alvarez Left The Mets With The Same Big Problem
Francisco Alvarez gave the Mets a glimpse of the player they hoped he could become early in 2026, from the first successful ABS challenge in MLB to an Opening Day home run that helped set the tone. Even after a right meniscus tear in May and a June return, he still offered enough offensive promise at times to keep the long-term optimism alive, even if the season never fully settled into the breakout many around the club had been waiting for.
But the bigger issue for the Mets never really went away. Alvarezs bat cooled badly after the trade deadline, and the numbers told the story of a catcher who finished with a .233/.311/.399 line and a 99 wRC+, while the defensive side remained shaky with negative run prevention and framing metrics. He ended the year at 1.4 fWAR, leaving New York with the same familiar question at a position where the upside is obvious, but the overall value still has to catch up. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Bullpen Reset Could Mean Tough Calls On 3 Relievers
After a last-place finish in the NL East for the first time in more than 20 years, the Mets are heading into an offseason where almost every part of the roster has to be examined, and the bullpen is no exception. Three relievers in particular, Myers, Nez and Garrett, sit in a tricky spot as the organization tries to sort through health, performance and roster flexibility while keeping one eye on the 2027 season.
Nez and Garrett are working back from Tommy John surgery, which already makes their paths more complicated, while Myers uneven results and minor league options add another layer to the decision-making. For a club that needs to find real answers in relief, the question is not just who can help, but who is worth keeping around if the Mets decide a reset means moving on from a few familiar names. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Fans Can Finally Revisit That Shohei Ohtani Trade Idea
In October 2022, a hypothetical Shohei Ohtani trade proposal from SNYs Danny Abriano gave Mets fans a chance to imagine what it might have taken to land the two-way superstar from the Angels. The package centered on three top 100 prospects, Brett Baty, Kevin Parada and Alex Ramirez, with a few other pieces in the mix, and it quickly became one of those exercises that says as much about the market for Ohtani as it does about the Mets farm system at the time.
Now theres a bit more context to revisit it with. Ohtani never moved in a trade, eventually leaving the Angels through free agency instead, while the Mets have since watched those prospect names take very different paths. Baty and Parada remain part of the conversation in Queens, Ramirez has his own development track, and the old what-if is the kind of front-office debate that never really disappears when a player like Ohtani is involved. [Read more 🡒]