Mets Plan Skubal Meeting in California
Owner Steve Cohen prepares to bid against the Dodgers and Padres for the Cy Young winner before a potential Dec. 1 lockout.
By Andrew Yang ·
The New York Mets have scheduled a meeting with right-handed pitcher Tarik Skubal in California next week. The discussion comes as the team seeks to secure a starting pitcher during a busy free agency period.
Mets owner Steve Cohen will likely host the talks. A source familiar with the plans said the meeting is set for next week. The New York Post first reported the development. This approach mirrors the 2024 free agency process for outfielder Juan Soto. Cohen then hosted Soto and agent Scott Boras at his Beverly Hills home. Boras also represents Skubal.
The timeline for this negotiation is compressed by labor issues. Owners are expected to initiate a lockout on Dec. 1 when the current collective bargaining agreement expires. The Mets must finalize a deal before that date to avoid disrupting the start of the season. In 2024, the Soto contract was reached during the second week of December at the winter meetings in Dallas.
Financial benchmarks for the deal are already established. Skubal is expected to challenge the record set by Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who signed with the Dodgers for 12 years and $325 million. He also aims to surpass the average annual value of $43.3 million held by Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander. Both Scherzer and Verlander are represented by Boras.
President of baseball operations David Stearns addressed the team’s strategy at Tuesday’s GM meetings in Las Vegas. He stated that the owner has consistently supported the department’s needs. Stearns said he expects that support to continue this offseason. He declined to name specific players but noted that the team’s biggest need is a top-tier starting pitcher.
Competitors include the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres. The Padres have significant financial resources due to new ownership. The Dodgers have been a frequent rival for Cohen in recent years. Skubal joined the Dodgers at the 2024 trade deadline and spent time in Los Angeles before returning to Detroit. The Mets face a choice between a shorter contract with a higher annual value or a longer deal similar to the Soto contract, which ran for 15 years and $765 million.
Stearns noted that the team evaluates each pitcher on a case-by-case basis. He referenced the 2023 failed pursuit of Yamamoto, who chose an identical offer from the Dodgers. The Mets are prepared to bid aggressively to avoid repeating that outcome. The next step is the face-to-face meeting in California where initial terms will be discussed.
