“If there was one glaring takeaway from this week, it’s that nearly everybody in the game expects Skubal to sign with the Mets,” an unnamed National League executive told Anthony DiComo of MLB.com on November 13, 2026.
Major League Baseball general managers gathered in Las Vegas this week, and the impending free agency of star left-handed pitcher Tarik Skubal dominated discussions across the league. Baseball executives widely expect the two-time Cy Young Award winner to land with the New York Mets during the upcoming offseason, according to reporting by PassionMLB.
An unnamed National League executive told MLB.com that the Mets appear to stand alone in the pursuit of the left-hander. “I don’t know who else is really even in the conversation,” the executive said.
"If there was one glaring takeaway from this week, it's that nearly everybody in the game expects Skubal to sign with the Mets. 'I don't know who else is really even in the conversation,' an NL executive said." https://t.co/cwfwvtQnhg
The New York organization has signaled internally that it intends to match any rival offers made to the prized pitcher. Skubal enters the winter market following a turbulent contract year that began with the Detroit Tigers, featured a May elbow procedure, and culminated in an August trade to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for prospects Zyhir Hope, River Ryan, and Brady Smith.
Rookie right-hander Nolan McLean currently anchors the New York starting staff, exposing a clear need for established veteran depth in the rotation. The current projected arm corps features McLean alongside left-hander Sean Manaea, right-hander Christian Scott, and left-hander Zac Thornton, with Kodai Senga and Tylor Megill serving as additional rotation options.
To address those depth concerns, front office officials plan to aggressively pursue Skubal before the end of November. The organization scheduled a trip to California for next week to meet directly with the pitcher.
Despite prevailing assumptions that New York holds an uncontested path to the left-hander, industry observers caution against writing off the Dodgers. Rival clubs point to previous winter offseasons, recalling how rapidly high-profile pursuits involving players like Kyle Tucker and Edwin Diaz shifted during past hot stove cycles.
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