Proposed NY Mets-Tigers trade for Tarik Skubal seems simple with only one dilemma

Baseball Night in New York has no choice but to look ahead to the New York Mets offseason. The premature ending has made October a look-back-then-look-forward month. All too common in the history of the Mets, it seems like we’ve gone into full-fledged “what’s next” mode with this team.

The topic on Monday night was a trade between the Mets and Detroit Tigers for Tarik Skubal. Suddenly the desire of all Mets fans who want to see an ace on this staff next year, former GM Jim Duquette put together what feels like a simple package.

There’s nothing unique about the trade. Whenever someone big is available, many will follow this exact formula. It’s Carson Benge or Jett Williams along with Brandon Sproat or Jonah Tong. Duquette included Ryan Clifford in the deal as well. It makes sense considering the Mets might want to find their long-term first baseman this offseason rather than wait to see how ready Clifford is for the 2027 season. So what’s the problem? Why aren’t the Mets making this trade?

The dilemma for the Mets is running into which “or” to select

If it’s a choice between Benge or Williams, there isn’t a particularly easy answer. Benge is a natural outfielder with Williams still learning the job. Each has different tools they can bring to the table. With the structure of the Mets roster, the obvious way to co-exist is with Benge in center field and Williams at second base. There are other ways as well. One could include a position change for Juan Soto whether that’s first base or seeing a lot more time at DH.

The Sproat vs. Tong debate is more intriguing. Sproat was the number one Mets pitching prospect until this past season. He was much better in the majors. It’s meaningless with the limited sample. Tong has outperformed all expectations while Sproat took a detour.

Completely ignoring whether or not this is something the Tigers would do, the additional question the Mets face with a trade like this is if Skubal is the one to target with these assets. Just a year away from free agency, the Mets are risking something bigger than prospects. Expecting him to reach free agency and not sign an extension with the Tigers or another team is a flawed way of thinking. If they believe he puts them over the top for 2026, it feels necessary to make a trade involving three of these players (picking between the either/or) to make it happen.

So far, David Stearns hasn’t been challenged to make such a hard decision. No truly notable prospect was traded in year one. Jesus Baez was the highest ranking minor leaguer they dealt in year two. The Mets can wait it out or bypass a major trade altogether. The problem is, not all five of the players mentioned by Duquette are likely to have truly outstanding careers.

Money talks but the Mets aren’t the only ones with it nor can they offer Skubal everything he could desire as a free agent. Born in Northern California near San Francisco, a high school attendee in Arizona, and a college student in Seattle, the West Coast is an appealing place for Skubal to return to. The goal of the Mets should be to make sure he has no choice but to stay after such a big blockbuster–if they’re willing to make the offer and get Detroit to accept.