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

1) Joe Ryan

While the Mets may have eyed (former) Minnesota Twins relievers Johan Duran and Griffin Jax, perhaps the player they should have had on their mind is starter Joe Ryan.

Ryan might not be as dominant as Greene or even Peralta, but he still fits the bill with an ERA of 3.60 or less in three of the past four seasons. With a K/9 of 10.21 in 2025, he can rack up the strikeouts while also keeping walks at a minimum with a 2.05 BB/9, which was actually his highest mark over the last three seasons.

If there is a flaw with Ryan, it's that he can be a little homer-prone. For his career, he's given up 1.42 HR/9, with his 2025 performance coming in just a tick below at 1.37. If he can get that under control, he can ascend to the next tier of aces, but if not, he's still a plenty good pitcher.

That's not what makes him the best fit for the Mets, however. Why David Stearns will be willing to jump all over Ryan is the fact that he's under team control through 2027. MLB Trade Rumors projects him to make just $5.8 million in arbitration for 2026.

While that will make his cost in prospects very high, he is essentially a two-year commitment at a bargain. Stearns hasn't liked to commit more than three years to a starter, so Ryan fits right in. At 29, he'll hit the market for his age-32 season, allowing Stearns to have some time to decide whether or not he'd like to commit long-term beyond the arbitration years, and depressing his value on the open market a tad.

Simply put, Ryan would give the Mets everything they want in a rotation anchor, all while providing the durability and cost control that they need. For that reason, he's the club's best non-Skubal option on the trade market this winter.