The Mets’ Skubal meeting puts a frontline starter on the agenda

The Mets plan to meet with Tarik Skubal next week in Los Angeles, putting a pitcher with a 2.72 ERA and 186 strikeouts directly into their search for rotation help. ESPN’s Jorge Castillo reported the meeting on November 10, and MLB’s Anthony DiComo confirmed the plan through a source familiar with it.

David Stearns declined to discuss Skubal specifically. He did make the broader need clear: the Mets will add pitching. DiComo reported that Stearns was willing to consider longer contracts case by case, rather than rule them out in advance.

There is competition for the conversation. Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes acknowledged plans to meet with Skubal. MLB’s November 11 market update also carried reported interest from Toronto and San Diego. None of those reports establishes an offer, an agreement or a new team for the left-hander.

What the Mets would be buying

MLB’s completed 2026 record gives Skubal 26 starts and 158⅔ innings across Detroit and Los Angeles. He allowed 126 hits and 27 walks, struck out 186 and finished 12-7. The ERA describes the runs he prevented; the innings describe how much of a rotation’s work he actually covered.

The workload has a financial consequence: even a major investment in Skubal would leave New York needing depth behind him. His 26 starts in 2026 were fewer than the 31 he made in each of the previous two seasons, according to MLB’s record. The Mets would be paying for the quality of his work while still planning for starts elsewhere in the rotation.

Stearns has generally favored shorter commitments to starters. DiComo identifies Sean Manaea’s three-year, $75 million contract as his largest Mets investment in that role. Pursuing Skubal raises the possibility of a much longer commitment, although no price or contract length has been confirmed.

A meeting before the price is known

Skubal elected free agency on October 29, according to MLB’s transaction record. The November 10 meeting report is now two days old; the next step described in it remains next week’s discussion. No contract terms have been confirmed.

For New York, the negotiation would test how much long-term risk Stearns will accept to improve the top of the rotation. The meeting is an early step in that decision. The pitcher’s production gives it substance; the eventual terms would determine the value.