Ranking 3 Tarik Skubal trade alternatives for the NY Mets to pursue

It has become clear to everyone that the New York Mets desperately need an ace. The half measures and reclamation projects David Stearns has favored in the past just aren't enough to get it done without a true leader atop the rotation.

That leads to the logical conclusion that has fans salivating at the prospect of pulling off a blockbuster to bring Tarik Skubal to Queens as the rumor mill heats up. While Stearns can no longer deny the need for an ace, trading a prospect haul and handing out a record-breaking contract for Skubal is a bridge too far, given his strong tendencies.

Instead, he'll turn his attention elsewhere, and fortunately, there are three other aces expected to hit the block this winter. They might not have the same pedigree as Skubal (other than Paul Skenes, who does really?), but they'll do the job of a rotation anchor just fine. All three aren't created equally, though. Let's take a look at how they stack up.

3) Hunter Greene

It would be some sort of poetic justice to swipe the ace of the team that stole the final NL playoff spot away from the Mets, and that's exactly what Stearns could pull off here with a trade for Cincinnati Reds star Hunter Greene.

In a lot of ways, Greene compares favorably to Skubal. The right-hander has an ideal frame for an ace and uses it to throw gas, leading all MLB starters with a 99.4 miles per hour average fastball velocity.

Greene plays off that fastball with a devastating slider that produced a 46.9% whiff rate in 2025. In addition, he has a solid splitter that helps neutralize lefties. From a pure stuff perspective, Greene is the best pitcher on this list.

Going back to the Skubal comparison for a minute, Greene's 31.4% strikeout rate was just a shade below Skubal's 32.2% mark, while his .191 batting average against actually narrowly bested Skubal, who came in at .199.

So, while Greene has a similar profile to Skubal and will also cost a pretty penny in a trade, he has one big advantage  — he's cheap. Cincinnati signed Greene early on in the 2023 season to a six-year, $53 million extension. That deal secures control over him through the 2028 season and then comes with a $21 million club option for 2029. While the actual cash he's owed escalates over the next few years (that's why the Reds want to trade him), it's the average annual value of his contract that the Mets care about, and he'll only count $8.83 million against the luxury tax.

So he's cheap, only 26 years old, and has posted ERAs of 2.75 and 2.76 the last two seasons; what's the problem?

Well, he can't stay healthy. Back in 2018, Greene underwent Tommy John surgery just as his professional career was beginning, and while he's avoided any other serious injuries, a variety of maladies have cut all four of his big league seasons short. 2024 saw him reach a career-high 150.1 innings, but in 2025, he dipped to a career-low 107.2 innings thanks to a pesky groin strain.

The best ability is availability, and given the injury issues the rotation suffered in 2025, it's unlikely Stearns would like to bet big on such an injury-prone talent.