The Tarik Skubal chase is officially on, and the Mets are going to have company.
Skubal, a two-time AL Cy Young Award winner, is now a free agent for the first time in his career after the Detroit Tigers traded the left-hander to the Los Angeles Dodgers when the sides couldn’t work out a long-term deal before the start of the 2026 season. With one of the game’s most dominant starters suddenly on the market, the expectation is that he’ll land a historic contract.
New York figures to be right in the middle of it. The Mets need a frontline starter, and owner Steve Cohen has never shied away from spending big on a premium free agent. But even if the Mets are willing to push the bidding higher than most, they may not have a clear runway.
According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Chicago Cubs “badly want Skubal,” even though it’s unclear whether they’ll actually be willing to hand him the megadeal he’s likely to command. That interest alone makes things tougher for the Mets, because Chicago is viewed as a legitimate World Series contender while New York still has plenty of ground to make up in the playoff race.
The Cubs’ need is real, too. Their rotation is suddenly staring at a wave of free agency, with Kevin Gausman, Shota Imanaga, Clay Holmes, Matthew Boyd, David Peterson, and Colin Rea all now available.
Skubal’s decision could come down to two things: money and the chance to win. He’s likely to go where the biggest offer is, but he also wants a shot at a World Series, and the Mets are not there yet.
Still, New York has one possible selling point if it wants to make a strong pitch: Nolan McLean. Pairing McLean with Skubal would give the Mets a nasty one-two punch at the top of the rotation.
Even with that, this is shaping up to be a difficult pursuit for New York. If the Cubs stay involved, the Mets may have to go all-in to land the lefty and bring him to Flushing.
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For now, there is no official plan in place, and the idea remains mostly speculation rather than a decision. Still, the mere fact that first base is being mentioned says plenty about how the Mets are thinking ahead, because a player this important can create a roster puzzle even when he is doing exactly what he was brought in to do at the plate. [Read more 🡒]