Tarik Skubal, 2 other NY Mets moves to expect before the lockout, 1 when baseball returns

The New York Mets have their meeting with Tarik Skubal set, and optimism is rising. It appears as if the Los Angeles Dodgers might bend, as insiders believe that the Dodgers won't go the distance on the type of long-term contract it will take to land the two-time Cy Young winner.

The expectation is that Skubal will want to wrap up business quickly, and with the Mets looking like the favorite, they could sign him before the lockout begins on December 1. Skubal won't be the only signing that New York should wrap up before the work stoppage begins. We have two other moves on our minds that would be great additions for David Stearns to wrap up before then, and one piece of business that he'd be better off waiting until a new CBA is ratified.

Two moves the Mets must make to supplement a Tarik Skubal addition before the MLB lockout begins

Sign reliever Jason Adam

The Mets have surprisingly built a solid bullpen with a bunch of unheralded players. It's a lesson in the nature of relievers: everyone, save for the truly elite relief aces, can be volatile, and guys like Nate Lavender undergoing late-season breakouts have provided New York with some unexpected building blocks.

Still, adding a reliable arm to the middle relief corps is always a plus. While most of the baseball world is focused on Adrian Morejon, his San Diego Padres teammate, Jason Adam, is the better fit for the Mets. Since 2022, the 35-year-old right-hander has made 300 appearances, thrown 291 innings, and posted a 2.13 ERA. He's one of MLB's best-kept secrets, and the Mets would be wise to bring him into the fold as soon as possible.

Trade for first baseman Jake Burger

The Texas Rangers have a serious payroll crunch, and while they'd like to move one or more of their three highest-paid stars -- Corey Seager, Jacob deGrom, and Nathan Eovaldi -- all three are coming off less-than-stellar seasons and possess full no-trade clauses. Rangers president of baseball operations, Chris Young, has stated that they will be very open-minded this offseason.

They could be motivated to move Burger quickly, as he's due a sizeable raise in arbitration, and they could promote top prospect Sebastian Walcott to play third, while sliding Josh Jung across the diamond to play first. In that way, they might be better than they are currently with Burger in the fold, and can free up some money to attack other needs.

Stearns spoke highly of Jared Young, whose breakout 2026 campaign has fans wanting more, but also mentioned finding a complement for the lefty-swinging first baseman. Burger does just that, mashing southpaws to the tune of a .265/.335/.556 line in 2026. He put up just a .659 OPS against righties, but for his career he does have a .729 OPS against same-handed pitching, providing some level of insurance should Young come back down to earth.

Getting a deal done quickly would help Texas, while also giving the Mets a cheap source of power with two years of team control. And while it has nothing to do with the urgency to make a deal, Burger is a really good dude who was just named MLB Philanthropist of the Year by the MLBPA for his work with individuals with Down Syndrome and providing support to families with children who have disabilities. He was also the Rangers' 2026 Roberto Clemente Award nominee, meaning that pairing him with 2026 Roberto Clemente Award winner Francisco Lindor would help create a clubhouse full of great vibes in Queens.

The Mets should not make this move under any circumstances until the lockout ends

Trade for RHP Drew Rasmussen

Adding Drew Rasmussen to a rotation that includes Skubal and Nolan McLean would give New York the type of three-headed monster that can go toe-to-toe with any rotation in the league. Rasmussen is a true ace, as his 2.67 ERA over 172 innings in 2026 indicates.

The hold-up here is that the Rays want to move Rasmussen for maximum value after picking up his $20 million for 2027, but with him heading to free agency next winter, it would be unwise to pony up until the Mets know that the lockout will not impact the ability to play games in 2027.

Building a super rotation is nice, but giving up the kind of high-end prospects the Mets would need to part with while taking on a hefty salary without assurances that a full slate of games will be played is asking for trouble. However, once baseball is back, nabbing Rasmussen should be at the top of Stearns' priorities.

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