Key Takeaways
- • SNY insider Chelsea Janes said the Mets' pursuit of free-agent left-hander Tarik Skubal will be driven by owner Steve Cohen's willingness to spend, and that the club's effort would match his.
- • Janes said Cohen may effectively delegate the rest of the roster build to president of baseball operations David Stearns, citing Cohen's approach with Bo Bichette and Kyle Tucker, while Cohen handles Skubal and agent Scott Boras.
- • Skubal won back-to-back AL Cy Young Awards (2024, 2025) and posted a 12-7 record with a 2.72 ERA and 186 strikeouts over 158.2 innings in 2026 across Detroit and Los Angeles; ESPN projected an eight-year, $355 million deal.
- • Stearns said after the 74-88 season that adding starting pitching was necessary, as the Mets' rotation posted a 4.47 ERA, 23rd in the majors.
Summary
SNY insider Chelsea Janes said on SNY's Baseball Night in New York that the Mets' pursuit of Tarik Skubal would be shaped by owner Steve Cohen's appetite rather than the front office's usual model. Janes said she could not tell how far Cohen would go, but argued that the club's effort would equal his: "how hard Steve Cohen will go after Skubal is how hard the Mets will go after Skubal."
Janes suggested Cohen could take a hands-on role in the top-tier pursuit while leaving the rest of the roster to David Stearns, the club's president of baseball operations. She cited Cohen's approach with Bo Bichette and Kyle Tucker, saying she could see Cohen telling Stearns, "You do your thing." She argued the split suited the Mets because relying on one ace was risky, noting uncertainty over whether the club would land Skubal and the injury risk pitchers carry. "I'm not saying don't sign him. If you can sign him, you sign him. But at the same time, you have to have other plans," she said, adding that Cohen could "talk to Boras and see what happens."
Skubal won the 2024 and 2025 American League Cy Young Awards with the Detroit Tigers and was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the 2026 deadline. He was set to become a free agent after the season. In 2026 he went 12-7 with a 2.72 ERA and 186 strikeouts over 158.2 innings in 26 starts across Detroit and Los Angeles. ESPN projected an eight-year, $355 million contract.
The context for the pursuit is the Mets' 2026 season, which ended at 74-88. In his end-of-season news conference on Sept. 28, 2026, as reported by The Athletic, Stearns said, "I do think it is necessary for us to add to our starting rotation," adding that the club's long-term goal was to develop top-of-rotation pitchers. The Mets' rotation finished the season with a 4.47 ERA, 23rd in the majors. The Athletic reported the Mets were expected to pursue lower-end starters for depth regardless of the Skubal outcome.
Janes suggested Cohen could take a hands-on role in the top-tier pursuit while leaving the rest of the roster to David Stearns, the club's president of baseball operations. She cited Cohen's approach with Bo Bichette and Kyle Tucker, saying she could see Cohen telling Stearns, "You do your thing." She argued the split suited the Mets because relying on one ace was risky, noting uncertainty over whether the club would land Skubal and the injury risk pitchers carry. "I'm not saying don't sign him. If you can sign him, you sign him. But at the same time, you have to have other plans," she said, adding that Cohen could "talk to Boras and see what happens."
Skubal won the 2024 and 2025 American League Cy Young Awards with the Detroit Tigers and was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the 2026 deadline. He was set to become a free agent after the season. In 2026 he went 12-7 with a 2.72 ERA and 186 strikeouts over 158.2 innings in 26 starts across Detroit and Los Angeles. ESPN projected an eight-year, $355 million contract.
The context for the pursuit is the Mets' 2026 season, which ended at 74-88. In his end-of-season news conference on Sept. 28, 2026, as reported by The Athletic, Stearns said, "I do think it is necessary for us to add to our starting rotation," adding that the club's long-term goal was to develop top-of-rotation pitchers. The Mets' rotation finished the season with a 4.47 ERA, 23rd in the majors. The Athletic reported the Mets were expected to pursue lower-end starters for depth regardless of the Skubal outcome.
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