Overview
- The Mets have identified adding a top starter as their primary offseason priority and see left-hander Tarik Skubal as the crown-jewel target, a point reinforced by president of baseball operations David Stearns in end‑of‑season comments on Thursday.
- Skubal is a two‑time Cy Young winner with a dominant three‑year run (43‑17, 2.42 ERA, 655 strikeouts in 546 innings) that makes him the most coveted free agent on the market.
- Skubal's medical record complicates any pursuit: he had surgery this season to remove loose bodies from his elbow and previously underwent Tommy John and flexor tendon procedures.
- Projections place Skubal's market north of $300 million, and Stearns' historical caution on long‑term pitcher deals — despite previously offering a big contract for Yoshinobu Yamamoto — raises doubt about a Mets record bid.
- The front office is preparing fallbacks that include short‑term rotation upgrades, left‑handed bullpen pieces and position‑player options such as Teruaki Satō or Ty France while MLB labor uncertainty could speed or reshape any signing.