The New York Mets couldn't have had a worse season in 2026, finishing in last place in the National League East. Owner Steve Cohen has designs on his team winning World Series titles and demonstrating that the Mets are a perennial contender, but the team had a brutal start to the season and was never able to turn things around.
One thing Mets fans believe they can count on is that Cohen will keep trying to put a championship team on the field. The owner's contribution includes going after the most valuable — and usually expensive — free agents that hit the market.
As free agency gets underway, the best free agent available will be dominant pitcher Tarik Skubal. The Detroit Tigers traded him prior to the MLB deadline last season to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Many expected that move to help the Dodgers win their third straight World Series. That did not happen as the small-market Milwaukee Brewers dominated the postseason, swept the Dodgers and won the World Series.
The Mets are expected to go after Skubal and hope to bring him to Citi Field. However, if the Mets are not successful, the Mets may try to address their pitching needs by going after a couple of other free agents.
The question was addressed on the Mets Podcast, hosted by Joe DeMayo and Sal Licata, and the participants discussed the possibility of signing Michael King or Clay Holmes. Both hosts favored Holmes because they were more familiar with his work with the Yankees, Mets and Cubs, and they liked his consistency on the mound. However, high marks were also given to King for his strong postseason with the Padres.