Do you really want to pin your World Series hopes on a medical chart and a rookie’s adrenaline?
That is the question David Stearns needs to answer before he leaves the office today. The New York Mets are currently staring at a rotation that is loaded with potential but absolutely starving for certainty. Sure, Nolan McLean looks like the real deal after posting a 2.06 ERA over 48 innings last season. The kid is 24 and has “ace” written all over him. But betting the house on his first full season in 2026, alongside a fragile Kodai Senga and the unproven Jonah Tong, is a recipe for heartburn in September.
There is a way to skip the anxiety and go straight to dominance. It involves calling Detroit and asking for Tariq Skubal.
The Absolute Monster in Detroit
We are not talking about a mid-rotation stabilizer here. We are talking about arguably the best pitcher on the planet right now. Skubal just wrapped up a campaign where he threw 195.1 innings of pure filth, posting a 2.21 ERA. He didn’t just get outs; he embarrassed people.
The 29-year-old struck out over 11 batters per nine innings. He stranded over 80 percent of the runners who were unlucky enough to reach base. When they did make contact, it was usually pounded into the dirt, evidenced by his 41 percent ground ball rate. Adding Skubal to the New York Mets rotation essentially guarantees you a win every fifth day. It gives the bullpen a night off. It changes the entire posture of the team from “hopeful” to “juggernaut.”
The Price of Doing Business
Quality like that requires a ransom. The Tigers aren’t just going to give him away because they feel generous. To land Skubal, the Mets would have to gut the top tier of their farm system. We are likely looking at a package headlined by Jonah Tong and top outfield prospect Carson Benge.
It hurts to trade Benge. It hurts to trade Tong. But prospects are just lottery tickets, while Skubal is the jackpot already cashed. The one guy Stearns seems rightfully possessive of is McLean, and keeping him out of the deal is non-negotiable. If you can pair Skubal with McLean, you have a 1-2 punch that rivals anything the Dodgers, Braves, or Phillies can throw at you.
The Juan Soto Warning Sign
There is a massive elephant in the room, however. Skubal is a rental. He hits free agency after the 2026 season, and there is zero guarantee he stays in Queens.
Mets fans know this story well because they just lived the other side of it. The Yankees emptied the tank to trade for Juan Soto, enjoyed one year of his greatness, and then watched him sign a massive long-term deal across town with the Mets. It is the ultimate risk. You could trade your best prospects for one summer of Skubal only to watch him walk away in the winter.
Scared Money Don’t Make Money
Risk tolerance is what separates the good GMs from the legends. Stearns has to decide if he is all-in on 2026. If you wait for Skubal to hit free agency next year, you are bidding against the world without the advantage of having him in your building.
Acquiring him now gives you the exclusive window to woo him. It gives you a legitimate ace to front a rotation that desperately needs leadership. The New York Mets have the young talent to make this trade without destroying their future. They need to stop hoarding prospects and start collecting pennants. If Skubal is the cost of a parade, you make that trade ten times out of ten.
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