Scouts get blunt about who Mets top trade target should be

The New York Mets could focus their trade attention on one solid starting pitcher this offseason.

Jul 30, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns speaks to the media about the MLB trade deadline before a game against the Minnesota Twins at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The baseball community is buzzing about the possibility of Detroit Tigers ace and likely 2025 AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal being traded this offseason.

This stems from the fact that Detroit and Skubal (who is under team control through the 2026 season) are reportedly miles apart in contract negotiations. And since the expectation is that Skubal will likely want to test free agency after next season rather than agreeing to a new deal with any team before that point, there's a case to be made that Detroit should trade him now while his value is at an all-time high rather than holding on to him and potentially letting him walk for nothing in return next offseason.

If Detroit were to deal Skubal, acquiring him would require a king's ransom. Therefore, while the New York Mets would surely be on the market for Skubal if he becomes available, they might be better off executing a trade for another quality starting pitcher who wouldn't cost as much in terms of prospects.

Sep 23, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) delivers a pitch in the second inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

One compelling candidate would be Minnesota Twins pitcher Joe Ryan, who is 29 years old and fresh off a 2025 campaign where he went 13-10 with a 3.42 ERA and 194 strikeouts in 171 innings pitched.

Scout Asserts Joe Ryan Makes Sense as a Mets Trade Fit

Ryan was expected to be on the trade block during the 2025 deadline, but the Twins elected to keep him on the team while trading many of their other top players. And in an October 29 article from SNY, several scouts spoke about why Ryan would be a good fit with the Mets.

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"He’s got that natural ride on his fastball that allows him to get swings and misses at the top of zone, despite average velocity (93.6 mph). But he gave up a lot of home runs on the fastball, too. He’s got good secondary stuff, and I think he could do a lot more with pitch shaping and sequencing," one scout was quoted as saying for Ryan.

"A team like the Mets, who have leaned into the analytics under Stearns, could help him with that and make that fastball even more of a weapon. He’s got a good feel as it is, but I think if he becomes less predictable, he’ll make fewer mistakes and you’ll see more dominance," one scout was quoted as saying," they continued.

Why Joe Ryan could be the Mets' best fit in a potential trade for a top starter:

"The two years of control make it easier for David Stearns to justify giving up top prospects. More to the point, Ryan is coming off an All-Star season, with a 3.42 ERA despite a late-season slump… pic.twitter.com/oL42mb57c7

— SNY (@SNYtv) October 29, 2025

Another scout added, "Ryan will be attractive to a lot of teams. One way or another, you’re going to find out a lot more about how Stearns wants to pay for the pitching he needs: with young talent or Steve Cohen’s checkbook.”

It will be fascinating to see how active Stearns and the Mets are in pursuing Ryan and other trade targets in the months to come.