Tarik Skubal Predicted To Get Traded To Mets For Four Players
With the Detroit Tigers and Tarik Skubal rumored to be headed in opposite directions; could the New York Mets swoop in and acquire the ace?
MLB Network’s Steve Phillips predicted this week that Skubal will indeed get traded to the Mets this offseason. Phillips also put together a mock trade that would send a four-player package back to Detroit for Skubal.
“The trade I have is Tarik Skubal,” Phillips said. “He’s gonna get dealt from the Detroit Tigers; I have him going to the New York Mets.”
“(The Tigers) can bring back two power arms in Brandon Sproat and Jonah Tong. They (also) need to replace Gleyber Torres at second. Luisangel Acuña (could do that) … and then Brett Baty, they could slot him in (at) third base.”
“I think they can answer a lot of questions trading Tarik Skubal to the Mets,” Phillips continued. “(Mets GM) David Stearns, I know he doesn’t like playing with the big starting pitchers … but it’s time to get in that game.”
It sure is going to be an interesting offseason for the Mets. Pete Alonso and Edwin Díaz opted out of their deals this week, becoming free agents.
Stearns has stated that run prevention is New York’s biggest weakness. Obviously, adding a guy like Skubal to the rotation would help matters in that regard.
New York’s internal starting pitching options right now are David Peterson, Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, Clay Holmes, Christian Scott, Nolan McLean, Sproat, and Tong.
The Mets missed the 2025 postseason by one game, and the pressure will be on manager Carlos Mendoza to get the club back to the playoffs in 2026.