Sign Tarik Skubal? A 3-Part Plan to Fix Steve Cohen's New York Mets for 2027

Even if the white flag of surrender hasn't gone up yet, the New York Mets sure look like they're in full retreat.

They sacked Carlos Mendoza and are 2-3 under interim manager Andy Green. There have been Little League home runs and everything, as if the Mets are fully committing to the bit of being, well, the Mets.

As per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, the firing of Mendoza doesn't necessarily mean the Mets will sell at the August 3 trade deadline. But that stance and a 36-50 record are in conflict with one another. The best thing for the franchise is to punt on 2026 and start preparing for 2027.

Of course, looking ahead to next season obviously assumes there will be a next season. But there's always a way wherever there's a will, so let's devise a plan for how owner Steve Cohen and president of baseball operations David Stearns can undo this mess.

How to Win the Trade Deadline

This isn't about winning the trade deadline through improvement. That ship has sailed. The best the Mets can do is cut their losses.

This will be difficult, given how many guys they likely can't trade. We're talking not just Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor, but fellow money-bags guys like Bo Bichette, Jorge Polanco, Marcus Semien, Luis Robert Jr., Sean Manaea, Devin Williams and Kodai Senga. Soto and Lindor are building blocks, while there's basically zero value to be found among the other seven.

Must Trade: SP Freddy Peralta, LHP Brooks Raley, LHP A.J. Minter

The catch here is that Peralta isn't especially valuable. The righty is nominally an ace, but a 4.53 ERA and 1.369 WHIP say otherwise.

Yet he is a pending free agent, and it's possible the Mets could sell him for more than he's worth. There's no guarantee that other ace trade chips like Tarik Skubal, Joe Ryan and Sandy Alcantara are going anywhere, in which case the Mets would have scarcity going for them as they shop Peralta.

Raley and Minter are also pending free agents, and they actually could be uniquely valuable this summer. Left-handed hitters are having a historic year, so plenty of teams need good lefty relievers.

Should Trade: SP Clay Holmes, 1B Mark Vientos, 3B Brett Baty

This depends on Holmes' recovery from a fractured fibula. But since he had a 2.39 ERA in nine starts before he got hurt, other teams might be willing to risk adding him in the face of both an uncertain recovery timeline and a likely contract opt-out.

For Vientos and Baty, the goal is simple: If anyone wants them, get what you can.

They were meant to be cornerstone pieces once, but they're now getting into their late 20s and neither is even a replacement-level player. They're effectively change-of-scenery candidates offered at change-of-scenery prices.

Should Hold: RHP Luke Weaver, RHP Huascar Brazobán, C Francisco Alvarez

The Mets' bullpen is where most of the team's trade value resides. And as such, time to sell high on Weaver (34 G, 2.00 ERA) and Brazobán (35 G, 1.94 ERA). But since the Mets would have to rebuild their bullpen anyway, they'd basically be robbing Peter to pay Paul if they traded those guys.

While doubts have grown as to whether Alvarez can achieve true stardom, the last thing you do with slugging 24-year-old catchers is sell low on them.

How to Hire the Right Manager

Green has taken over the manager's chair from Mendoza, but it's not a permanent assignment. The plan is for him to return to the front office after the season ends, at which time a proper search for a manager will begin.

If you take Eric Chavez's word for it on the Mets' culture, the job could be a hard sell. On the other hand, a roster with Soto and Lindor, and an owner with deeper pockets than the others, might hold more sway with prospective candidates.

Plan A: Alex Cora

Given that the Mets have spent the last two seasons as a high-priced failure with more than a few hints of dysfunction, the ideal manager for them is someone who has been there, done that and won in a big market.

Hence Cora, who had a .534 winning percentage and won a World Series as the manager of the Boston Red Sox. He'd bring instant credibility into the clubhouse, and it may not be the worst thing that he's willing to hold players accountable.

Plan B: Carlos Beltrán

Since Cora is probably more likely to reunite with Dave Dombrowski in Philadelphia, Beltrán might be the odds-on favorite to actually get the Mets gig.

He was going to manage the Mets once upon a time, and it's clear that the relationship is still good even after that fell apart. He works for the team in an advisory role, and he's about to have his number retired in September.

Though Beltrán would be a first-time skipper, he's overdue for his shot. He's also proven himself as a Soto whisperer, which probably can't hurt his chances.

How to Win the Offseason

Assuming Bichette opts out, that will free the Mets from a $42 million salary and create an opportunity to upgrade the infield. They're also sure to decline Robert's $20 million option in favor of a $2 million buyout.

Assuming Peralta, Holmes, Raley and Minter come off the books, that's another $36.75 million in salary going "poof." It all adds up to a decent chunk of change for an offseason that has to be about making bigger upgrades.

Must Sign: SP Tarik Skubal

The Mets should go after Skubal because of course they should. Their starting pitchers are in the bottom five of MLB in rWAR, and he's a back-to-back Cy Young Award winner.

The cost? Well, $400 million was getting thrown around last winter. Skubal's recent elbow surgery could lower that ceiling, but it's probably best to assume otherwise until further notice.

Either way, the Mets will be one of a small handful of teams that can afford the 29-year-old lefty. And out of that small handful, not a single team needs him more.

Must Trade For: 3B Matt Chapman

Given how much Stearns stressed run prevention last offseason, it was borderline comical that he tabbed Bichette (third base) and Polanco (first base) to play positions that were alien to them.

Of all the ways Stearns can right this wrong, taking Chapman off the San Francisco Giants' hands is his best bet. He's still adding to a decade-long domination of the Defensive Runs Saved leaderboard, which softens the blow of his downward-trending bat. His $25.17M salaries through 2030 would be worth it.

Other Can't-Miss Targets: SP Drew Rasmussen, 1B Ty France, LHP Adrian Morejon, LHP Brooks Raley

France won a Gold Glove last year and is contending for a second as the co-leader among first basemen in Outs Above Average. If he were to share an infield with Lindor, Chapman and Semien, not many ground balls would get to the outfield.

This is also where Rasmussen comes in, as he's a rare sort who can strike out a batter per inning and run a GB% around 50 percent. His $8 million option could make him trade bait for a Tampa Bay Rays organization that is always trying to save cash.

The Mets should try to bring back Minter or Raley, with the latter representing the better hope on account of a successful four-year run with the franchise. Ideally, whichever one doesn't come back would have his shoes filled by Morejon. He's one of the best lefty relievers in the game, posting a 2.64 ERA with a 1.068 WHIP and 4.17 K/BB ratio over the last three seasons.

Put it all together, and the Mets would have a 2027 depth chart that looks like this:

Hitter	Position	Role
Francisco Alvarez	C	Starter
Ty France	1B	Starter
Marcus Semien	2B	Starter
Matt Chapman	3B	Starter
Francisco Lindor	SS	Starter
Juan Soto	LF	Starter
A.J. Ewing	CF	Starter
Carson Benge	RF	Starter
Jorge Polanco	DH	Starter
Luis Torrens	C	Bench
Ronny Mauricio	INF	Bench
Eric Wagaman	INF/OF	Bench
Jared Oliva	OF	Bench
Starting Pitcher	Position	Role
Tarik Skubal	LHP	SP1
Nolan McLean	RHP	SP2
Christian Scott	RHP	SP3
Drew Rasmussen	RHP	SP4
Sean Manaea	LHP	SP5
Relief Pitcher	Position	Role
Devin Williams	RHP	CL
Luke Weaver	RHP	SU
Adrian Morejon	LHP	SU
Brooks Raley	LHP	SU
Huascar Brazobán	RHP	MR
Reed Garrett	RHP	MR
Austin Warren	RHP	MR
Kodai Senga	RHP	LR

It's a pretty good depth chart. And standing in reserve would be top prospects Ryan Clifford and Jonah Tong as candidates to crack the starting lineup and rotation, respectively. There will also be Tylor Megill making his return from Tommy John surgery, whether it's as a starter or another relief weapon.

At the least, it's a roster that makes sense. That alone would give it a leg up on what the Mets built for the 2026 season, and a good manager would hopefully know how to use it to its full potential.

Whatever Cohen and Stearns do, they should act as if the entire Mets fanbase is tapping its watch to remind Cohen what he said back in 2020 about when a World Series title might arrive. There's no reason it can't be in 2027, provided the organization treats it as a year that deserves an answer rather than more experimentation.

Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.