Tarik Skubal is the prize of the MLB offseason. No Los Angeles Dodgers free agent could possibly make mouths water more. He’s very much a New York Mets target. The Mets, despite the lack of success, are one of the few teams who’d have the wherewithal to make Skubal whatever the record-breaking contract he gets happens to be.
It’s not just him sitting on a lame duck contract with the Dodgers they should consider, though. The two-time defending champions have a couple of other free agents the Mets scouts should have their eyes glued on.
The Dodgers free agents not named Tarik Skubal for the Mets to keep an eye on
1) Evan Phillips
Evan Phillips has managed to fly under the radar for a couple of seasons. The name is familiar, but how many non-Dodgers fans have taken notice? Since joining the Dodgers in mid-2021, he has a 2.34 ERA. This year is at 3.48 but with an excellent 2.2 BB/9 rate and 10.5 K/9, there are other factors which tell us he’s a worthwhile target for the Mets.
Phillips is a recent Tommy John surgery graduate who pitched just a handful of innings in 2025 and only recently went over 20 for the 2026 season. He hasn’t given up a run since the middle of August. Performing well in the stretch run of the season, his 15.1 innings of scoreless baseball with 7 hits during the postseason is enough of a reason to put him on the early offseason wish list.
2) Eric Lauer
Currently on the IL, Eric Lauer is a fascinating pitcher that has spent most of his career used as a swingman. Credit David Stearns for this. It began with the Milwaukee Brewers after Stearns acquired him from the San Diego Padres. The Toronto Blue Jays flipped him between the rotation and bullpen in 2025. The Dodgers have needed him in the rotation more.
The season totals aren’t so great for Lauer and it’s probably because he has started too many games. Prior to his last start before hitting the IL, Lauer had a 3.78 ERA with the Dodgers. It ballooned to 4.50 after giving up 7 earned runs in 3 innings against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Mets love a long man and in comparison to Tobias Myers, Lauer seems more trustworthy.
3) Alex Vesia
Alex Vesia is another one of those Dodgers relievers who has been around for a long time and done well for himself. He has a 2.98 ERA this year and 2.72 ERA in his 300+ innings with the Dodgers.
Huge strikeout numbers especially for a non-closer, his career total is at 12 K/9. He is below that total this year and with more than 5 walks per inning, the big saving grace on the season is he is allowing home runs at one of the lowest rates of his career. The Mets have a lot of intriguing relievers trying out for the bullpen next year, but none should be trustworthy enough to take on the role of the departed Luke Weaver and Huascar Brazoban. They need, at minimum, another righty and lefty.
