NY Mets Expected To Push Hard To Trade For Cy Young Pitcher

The New York Mets' starting rotation didn't quite turn out the way they'd hoped this season, and certainly changes will be needed. And while we had a look at three gettable targets they could pursue this winter in the trade pool, there's a much, much bigger fish in the pond that they are expected to go after.

The future of Tarik Skubal with the Detroit Tigers is in question, at least beyond 2026, after which time he is slated to be a free agent. And with Scott Boras as his agent, the soon-to-be two-time Cy Young winner won't be giving any hometown discount to the Tigers. He's expected to land the richest contract ever afforded a major league pitcher.

And while the Tigers certainly can't afford that, you know who can? Steve Cohen and the Mets.

Will Sammon writes in The Athletic that "some executives around the league are figuring that Detroit will make the left-hander available" by trade. And that "the Mets are interested in adding to their rotation in a meaningful way."

Outside of Nolan McLean, writes Sammon, the Mets would make just about anybody else in the organization fair game to try to land Skubal. The problem, of course, is that he would still be just a rental for a year. No chance Boras lets his golden goose sign anywhere with free agency just months away.

But when it comes to that $400 million or so it will take to sign Skubal in free agency, no team would be more willing and able than the Mets.

And what would the trade cost be to acquire the best pitcher in baseball?

"Just to provide a general idea," says Sammon, "one industry source unaffiliated with the club speculated Detroit may look to ask for two top-level starting pitchers and a position player prospect. In Mets parlance, that means something like (Jonah) Tong, (Brandon) Sproat and prospect Jett Williams."

Should be an intriguing offseason on the baseball rumor mill.