Former Mets general manager Jim Duquette has one simple solution for David Stearns to fix the Mets’ issues next season.
Sign Tarik Skubal in free agency.
During an appearance on the latest episode of The Post’s “The Show” podcast with Jon Heyman, Duquette identified the Mets’ rotation as his biggest concern and questioned whether Stearns’ approach to building a pitching staff can work in the Big Apple.
“My biggest concern is in their rotation,” Duquette said. “… The philosophy that David Stearns has had just doesn’t work in New York. There’s too many variables if you don’t get some certainty in the rotation, like what the Yankees have and the Dodgers have.
“They have to sign Skubal. I don’t see any other way out of this if they don’t get Skubal.”
Skubal, who was traded to the back-to-back reigning champion Dodgers before the deadline, is expected to garner a record-breaking deal on the open market this winter.
The southpaw has won the American League Cy Young in each of the past two seasons, and has posted a 2.93 ERA across 18 outings so far in 2026.
The big-spending Dodgers and Yankees, who also pursued Skubal before the deadline, are expected to be in the mix for his services this offseason.
The Mets’ rotation has been a sore spot for the team this season, posting a 4.46 ERA heading into Tuesday’s play, which was the ninth-worst mark in baseball.
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The failed experiment with Freddy Peralta, who was traded to the Rays after a disastrous stint in Queens, didn’t help.
Peralta, who was expected to slot in as the Amazin’s ace after coming over from Milwaukee, pitched to a 4.99 ERA with the Mets in 22 starts before the trade.
