NY Mets rumors: The biggest risk for David Stearns is not trading for Tarik Skubal

2025 was supposed to be a statement year for the New York Mets, but instead, it ended like a cautionary tale. High payroll, star power, and a lineup full of promise still couldn’t push them into the playoffs. Trades flopped, the bullpen wobbled, and while Steve Cohen grabbed headlines with Pete Alonso and Juan Soto, David Stearns’ moves quietly piled up in the “what went wrong” column.

The offseason doesn’t wait for excuses. Every decision Stearns makes now will be magnified, second-guessed, and tweeted about before morning coffee. After a season full of near misses, the bigger risk isn’t making a trade—it’s standing still. Hesitation here doesn’t just affect the roster; it leaves him exposed, with nothing to point to if the narrative of another underperforming year falls squarely on his shoulders.

A Tarik Skubal trade gives David Stearns cover if the Mets stumble again

Stearns spent 2025 under a microscope, and the criticism wasn’t subtle. His rotation, cobbled together with high-upside projects instead of a clear ace, collapsed in ways that left fans shaking their heads. The same blueprint worked in 2024, but last season proved that potential alone isn’t a strategy. With a top payroll and another playoff miss, every stumble fell on him, and patience from a fan base eager for results evaporated fast.

Meanwhile, the big offseason headlines belonged to Cohen’s signings of Alonso and Soto, a reminder of what a deep-pocketed owner can do. Stearns had the opportunity to add a proven arm to the rotation or other positions, but he didn’t. That leaves him exposed: another disappointing season without a marquee addition would make it hard to argue he wasn’t part of the problem. A trade for Skubal changes that. It’s not just a rotation upgrade; it’s a safety net, a tangible out he can point to if the season unravels again.

Skubal gives Stearns both upside and protection. If the rotation falters, he has a concrete example to show that he acted decisively, bringing in one of the best arms available. It’s a hedge against the narrative that he can’t get it right at the big market level, a way to temper criticism and buy breathing room in a league that doesn’t forgive repeated misses lightly.

The takeaway is simple: 2025 exposed Stearns to scrutiny, and the offseason offers a chance to mitigate that risk. Bringing in talent like Skubal isn’t just a move to win games; it’s a calculated play to safeguard credibility. Sometimes in baseball, it’s not only about what happens on the field, it’s about having something to point to when things don’t go your way.