The Mets have no choice but to sign Tarik Skubal

To NO ONE'S surprise, the New York Mets have struggled in every way with their starting rotation this season, having failed to address their biggest weakness this past offseason. Let's hope for Mets fans—if there are any left—that the team's president of baseball operations, David Stearns, will have learned from his mistakes during the upcoming offseason.

It's not often you get a second chance to get it right, but the executive can take advantage of this opportunity. Indeed, although Tarik Skubal is currently a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, his future beyond this season remains uncertain.

Admittedly, the two-time American League Cy Young Award winner has expressed a desire to return to the Detroit Tigers if possible, but we know that won't happen.

And that's where Stearns needs to work his magic, according to Jim Duquette.

My biggest concern has been—and remains—the rotation. David Stearns' approach simply doesn't work in New York. The Mets have to sign Skubal! I don't think there's any other way out if they don't land Skubal. I think it's a two-team race, and in the free-agent market, you have to take a chance. It's two teams (the Mets and the Dodgers)—just two teams. Take a chance. Will it cost $400 million? Probably.

Duquette is right: if the Mets want to have even the slightest chance of returning to their 2024 standards, it's going to come through Skubal. They shouldn't just be intrigued by the idea—they need to take action.

However, Stearns isn't in the habit of offering lucrative contracts to starting pitchers. And when the Mets have tried their hand at it, they've come up empty. Just look at the deals they gave Max Scherzer in 2021, Justin Verlander in 2022, and Sean Manaea in 2024.

But regardless, the Mets have no choice but to jump into the Skubal race.

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