Mets Plan Skubal Meeting

The New York Mets plan to meet with pitcher Tarik Skubal next week in California, according to a source familiar with the talks. The meeting is expected to take place in the area where agent Scott Boras maintains his headquarters in Newport Beach. This development mirrors the strategy used during the 2024 free agency period for outfielder Juan Soto.

The primary objective of the Mets is to secure a starting pitcher who can anchor the rotation. The team has not reached the postseason in the last two years. General Manager David Stearns stated on Tuesday that owner Steve Cohen has consistently supported the needs of baseball operations. Stearns expects this financial commitment to continue during the current offseason.

Cohen is known for his willingness to pay premium prices for top talent. In 2024, he outbid the New York Yankees to sign Soto to a 15-year contract worth 765 million dollars. That deal set a record for a position player. The Mets are now looking to set new records for a starting pitcher by acquiring Skubal, who has won the Cy Young Award twice in consecutive seasons.

The financial stakes for this negotiation are high. Skubal and Boras are targeting a contract that would surpass the current record for total value held by Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Yamamoto signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers for 325 million dollars over 12 years. The current record for annual average value is 43.3 million dollars, a figure shared by Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander. Both Scherzer and Verlander are also represented by Boras.

The timeline for the negotiation is compressed. Owners are expected to begin a lockout on December 1, when the current collective bargaining agreement expires. A lockout would shut down the sport until a new agreement is reached. Therefore, the Skubal deal must be finalized before that date to avoid interruption.

The competition for Skubal is intense. The Los Angeles Dodgers are expected to bid aggressively against the Mets. The San Diego Padres are also in the market, having recently gained financial resources from new ownership. Skubal joined the Dodgers at the trade deadline earlier this year and performed well in Los Angeles. This experience could influence his decision.

The Mets have faced challenges in previous free agency pursuits. In 2023, the team made an offer to Yamamoto that was identical to the offer he accepted from the Dodgers. Stearns noted that every situation is unique and that the team evaluates each pitcher on a case-by-case basis. He acknowledged that long-term negotiations for pitchers are common for the Mets.

The meeting in California will serve as the first step in the formal negotiation process. The location is strategic for Boras, who is managing the client's transition to free agency. The Mets are positioning themselves to leverage their owner's financial depth against competitors who also have substantial resources. The outcome of the meeting will determine the trajectory of the team's offseason strategy.