It was not the season that the New York Mets had hoped for. After making a ton of noise during the offseason, signing Juan Soto and re-signing Pete Alonso, the club fell short of its end goal.
Now, the club will head into the offseason, looking to fill some key holes. One of their biggest holes comes from the starting pitching staff, and the clear need for an ace pitcher to emerge.
Nolan McLean seemed to step up for that role, but was called up at the tail end of the regular season. Being a rookie, the front office cannot depend on him to take the next step, especially when many who perform well during their first year hit the “sophomore slump.”
One ace that could turn the club around is Tarik Skubal. He still has a year left on his deal with the Detroit Tigers, but if they are not confident they can re-sign him, trading him and getting some players in return is the logical move.
MLB exec suggests Mets’ young slugger could be key in Tarik Skubal trade
Acquiring Tarik Skubal will not be easy. He is the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner and could be on his way to winning another one when the season comes to an end. However, one MLB executive suggests the Mets have the pieces to get the deal done, via SNY’s John Harper.
“Other than pitching, (Francisco) Alvarez could be the key. It depends on how the Tigers’ scouts evaluate him. He showed some growth after the Mets sent him to Triple-A, but is he still a 30-home run guy as he was projected to be when he came up? As a catcher that would make him a difference-maker and something to help justify the trade from a PR standpoint.”
This trade idea ultimately comes down to how Detroit feels about Alvarez. While he did well when he returned to the club, questions remain. He has also been battling injuries this season, and his health for the future could come into question.
