Tarik Skubal and the Tigers are in a one-year, $10.5M deal for the 2025 season. And this deal was finalized to avoid arbitration. Now, Skubal is in his final season of arbitration and will hit free agency after 2026. But will Detroit go for his free agency deal with the risk of losing a likely AL CY young winner or trade the star this year in exchange for certain worthwhile deals? 

Amid this Tigers dilemma, the Mets “are expected to get involved” in Skubal trade talks as per Will Sammon of The Athletic. For the Mets, who lost their postseason hopes in 2nd position in the NL East with 83-79, Skubal could be a game-changing addition. In return, the Mets can offer Jonah Tong and Nolan McLean to the Tigers. However, that hope is now at a crossroads as David Haugh asked the Cubs to bid for Skubal.

As per 670 The Score, “David Haugh would like to see the Cubs make an aggressive offer for Tarik Skubal if the Tigers put him on the trade market this offseason… It would be a great problem to have if the Tigers are open for business. I think you make another aggressive offer because you have the pieces.”

“If you want to tell me that you could get Tarik Skubal, one season of Tarik Skubal for Shaw, Caissie, and Jaxon Wiggins, potentially more, but one for sure. Yes, I would do that for 2026,” Haugh explained.

So, Haugh’s point is to get Skubal, no matter how many prospects the Cubs have to trade.

Matt Shaw had a bWAR of 3.1 in his rookie year. Shaw’s fWAR was 1.4; however, that is still good for a 23-year-old rookie. Next in line is Owen Caissie. The team promoted him to the Majors on 14 August 2025. His debut was against the Jays, and he played right field in an important game against the Brewers on 19 August, recording 3 RBI in a 6-4 win. 

Following this is Jaxon Wiggins, the team’s second-round selection, 68th overall in the MLB draft 2023. In 2025, he recorded a 2.19 ERA and had 97 strikeouts across 78 innings pitched with the Iowa Cubs.

Then, there is the Kyle Tucker situation going on for the Cubs.

The clubhouse’s most skilled talent is in free agency, and ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel estimates that Tucker would sign an 11-year deal worth $418 million. The amount may not fit the Cubs’ budget. Hence, Haugh is simply suggesting the franchise to get Skubal through a trade deal because “he’s your 2026 Kyle Tucker.”

Skubal fits perfectly with what the team is looking for. For the past two years, the star has had a 2.30 ERA with 469 strikeouts in 387.1 innings. He is also capable of performing in big moments with a 2.04 ERA over six postseason starts in his career.

Now, only time will tell whether the Tigers trade Skubal, who won the prestigious Tiger of the Year Award for the second time consecutively. And for the Mets, the challenge will be more intense if the Cubs enter the bidding market. 

While the Mets’ hunt for top-tier pitching, David Stearns seems to be silently solidifying the bullpen’s core. His recent under-the-radar decision could prove to be more tactical than it looks on the surface.

Mets add Joey Gerber in low-risk, high-upside bullpen move

In a subtle but fascinating offseason move, the Mets have added Joey Gerber, a right-hander from the Tampa Bay Rays, in exchange for cash consideration. Gerber made his debut in 2020 with the Mariners. He has gone through years of setbacks, including back surgery and Tommy John surgery, before resurfacing in 2025 with Tampa Bay.

He appeared in 2 games, 4 ⅓ innings with a 2.08 ERA in September for the Rays. Regardless of limited big-league actions, Gerber flashed the kind of raw potential that caught Stearns’ eye.

Across 57 ⅓ Triple-A innings, he posted an affluent 26.7% strikeout rate, although a 6.23 ERA over 43 ⅓ innings with the Durham Bulls in 2025, underlined lingering inconsistencies. 

Still, Stearns has a reputation for finding value in often overlooked arms, and Gerber’s remaining minor league alternative offers roster flexibility.

If his command sharpens and velocity holds, the Mets could discover a quietly valuable bullpen piece, proof that not every winning offseason move makes the front page.

David Stearns’ approach shows that the Mets are mixing ambition with strategy, hunting stars like Skubal while discovering value in arms such as Gerber. It is a smart balance of big moves and quiet wins shaping their offseason.