There is certainly no guarantee that Detroit Tigers superstar pitcher Tarik Skubal gets traded, but if he is, the New York Mets would be a good bet to pull off the heist.
Skubal, now the back-to-back American League Cy Young Award winner, is entering his final year of arbitration before seeking a mega-deal in free agency. If he’s getting traded, it’s because the Tigers don’t think they have any shot at affording his next contract, and if any team is guaranteed to have the ability to afford it, that team plays in Queens.
However, the Tigers would still need to be blown away by an offer to ship Skubal away in the wake of back-to-back playoff appearances. Would the Mets be able to pull it off while keeping their top pitching prospect, Nolan McLean?
On Thursday, Jim Bowden of The Athletic proposed a four-player package of Mets youngsters that he believed stood a chance of prying Skubal loose from Detroit: right-handed pitchers Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat, infielder/outfielder Jett Williams, and infielder Ronny Mauricio.
“The Mets’ rotation really struggled last season, finishing 18th in MLB in starter’s ERA, and has several openings as the offseason begins,” Bowden wrote. “They need an ace and have the resources to sign Skubal long-term if they can trade for him.
“They certainly can offer an enticing package, led by two of their top pitching prospects in Tong and Sproat. … Both Tong and Sproat offer upside and could slot immediately into the Tigers’ rotation.”
On top of those two, Williams is likely New York’s position-player prospect with the highest floor, as speed and defensive versatility never slump. Then, there’s Mauricio, whose career has been disrupted early on by injuries, but who also possesses immense power potential.
After the disastrous season they just had, though, it’s hard to imagine the Mets would have any qualms about trading that boatload of talent to get a guaranteed ace in Skubal. They’d also have to feel confident about their ability to re-sign him once he hit free agency, because Skubal being a Scott Boras client makes it nearly impossible that he’d consider a midseason extension.
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