MLB rumors: NY Mets should already know their Tarik Skubal backup plan

The majority of fans seem more interested in MLB rumors this October than the actual postseason. Can you blame us? Another year of seeing the Los Angeles Dodgers stomp all over everyone isn’t appealing to anyone outside of their fanbase. They manhandled the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS with 4 wins and only 1 run allowed in each game. It puts a few things in perspective for the 2024 New York Mets who challenged the Dodgers enough to win 2 games.

Following their ouster, fresh MLB rumors came out involving the Brewers. It should come as no surprise to learn the Mets’ Tarik Skubal backup plan they have a better shot at acquiring could hit the trade block.

The Brewers, with a team option on Freddy Peralta next season, are expected to shop their All-Star starter a year before reaching free agency with just an $8 million salary attached to him.

Tarik Skubal puts the Mets in a different stratosphere, Freddy Peralta is a strong consolation prize

The Detroit Tigers would get a massive haul for Skubal. How could the Brewers do with Peralta? Coming off of his best season in the big leagues with the Brewers, David Stearns’ connection to the Brewers and familiarity with Peralta seems to drive toward future Mets rumors. Hired in September of 2015, Stearns traded Adam Lind to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for three prospects. One turned out to become Peralta.

Stearns already made one noteworthy trade with the Brewers, acquiring Tyrone Taylor and Adrian Houser for prospect Coleman Crow. On a much smaller scale, Tyler Jay was sent to Milwaukee for minor league TJ Shook. If the price is right for Peralta, they shouldn’t have any qualms about dealing their stud to the Mets. It always is, and should be, about who is willing to pay the highest price.

Your best offer for Skubal will be far greater than what it might cost to get Peralta but perhaps not extremely different. Milwaukee should try to compete again next year after finishing with the best record in MLB. So, just as the Tigers would like some MLB-ready players for their stud, we shouldn’t be surprised if Milwaukee requests the same.

Skubal feels like a no-brainer to pursue and give up something significant to get him. Peralta, on the other hand, may fall more in line with having to surrender three lesser yet high upside prospects coming off of good years. The Corbin Burnes trade required the Baltimore Orioles to give up the 63rd ranked prospect. Peralta should be less, but with no prospect ranked in the latter half by MLB Pipeline at the moment, we can probably round down to a trade beginning with Brandon Sproat.