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(Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
The New York Mets aren’t shy about making a splash in the offseason. In Dec. 2024, they signed Juan Soto, and this offseason, New York added Bo Bichette in free agency and traded for Freddy Peralta. Nonetheless, could the Mets make another major move next offseason?
ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported, citing sources, that Tarik Skubal will be paid $32 million this year after a three-person salary arbitration panel ruled in his favor on Feb. 5 over the $19 million salary the Detroit Tigers proposed.
Moreover, Skubal is a free agent at the end of the 2026 MLB season. As a result, he will be looking for a bigger payday next offseason. The question is whether the Mets will push to land one of the best starting pitchers in baseball.
On Feb. 5, Will Sammon of The Athletic shared whether the Mets will be in the Skubal sweepstakes should he hit free agency next winter.
“To answer your question, yes,” Sammon said during an appearance on “Baseball Night in New York” about Skubal being in the category of the players the Mets hope to land. “I think Tarik Skubal belongs in that category; I think he is in that category for the Mets heading into next year.
“I go even as far as to say that that was part of their calculus when looking at things for this winter’s class as well, is that they knew for sure that these guys, whether it’s Skubal, whether it’s even Freddy Peralta, or other guys this year.
“It’s a better class, obviously, than this one that we just dealt with, and it’s significantly better at that. Yes, to answer your question, he should be there, and I believe he will be there, that they make a strong push for him.”
Freddy Peralta Contract Extension Prediction
While Skubal could be on the Mets’ radar next offseason, another item on their to-do list will be whether to extend Peralta or not. It will all depend on how he performs this upcoming 2026 MLB season. Nonetheless, the best-case scenario will be that he performs well and enjoys playing in New York.
If that were the case, SNY’s Jim Duquette shared the contract length and dollar figures he believes the Mets are offering the starting pitcher.
“I don’t see the Mets going to five years on anything like that,” Duquette said in a video that SNY published on Jan. 28. “If he was willing to do four years, and if it was around $28 to $30 million, $120 [million] total, that might be in the possibility. He does have an agent that has done deals before [with the Mets].”
Mets Won’t Get Any Discounts From Freddy Peralta
Peralta has a record of 70-42 with an ERA of 3.59, 1,153 strikeouts, and one save in 211 appearances during his time with the Brewers, per StatMuse. As a result, the starting pitcher will be looking to get paid next offseason, whether that comes from the Mets or another team.
Furthermore, Duquette doesn’t see the new Mets starting pitcher taking any discount after being on a team-friendly contract with the Milwaukee Brewers.
“There may be a change of rules in 2027 where there’s a salary cap, so you see a lot of short‑term deals,” Duquette added. “That’s primarily what the organization has been focusing on, is short‑term deals, and they also develop pitching well.
“So I think that all has to factor into any type of offer that you make to Freddy Peralta, and you hope that he’s willing to take a discount or a little bit of a discount. But you also know he’s coming off one where it was a steep discount there in Milwaukee.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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