Tarik Skubal Free Agency: Mets Rotation Jumps From #14 to #6 by NUT
In Tarik Skubal's free agency, his +3.0 SEASON NUT would move the Mets' 2026 rotation from #14 to #6 of 30 clubs, the Dodgers' from #9 to #5, the Padres' from #25 to #21 and the Blue Jays' from #28 to #25, as of November 13, 2026. He filed for free agency on October 29. Reports from November 12 and 13 name the Mets as the expected destination, with Skubal seeking a 7- to 10-year deal; the Dodgers, Padres and Blue Jays are also linked.
NUT is one number for production against league average, built on the advanced hitting and pitching stats analysts trust, not batting average or ERA. Defense is left out. A rotation total here is the sum of each starter's 2026 SEASON NUT.
Skubal's Suitors by NUT: How Much Each Rotation Gains
Every club adds the same +3.0. That is more than any of the four suitors' 2026 rotations produced without him: the Dodgers' other eight starters combined for +1.9 and the Mets' four for +1.0. The Mets climb 8 spots, the most of the four.
A rotation counts every pitcher who started at least half his games and threw 50+ innings in 2026. These are 2026 totals: offseason departures and other signings aren't subtracted. Every free agent is ranked in the top MLB free agents of 2026-27.
Tarik Skubal's 2026 Season by NUT
His +3.0 SEASON NUT (S) ranked #6 among 327 qualified MLB pitchers. He split it +1.7 in 16 starts for Detroit and +1.3 in 10 starts for Los Angeles after the 2026 trade deadline. It is his third straight S season after +3.5 in 2024 and +3.8 in 2025, the two years he won the AL Cy Young Award, and he has +11.9 CAREER NUT. Full splits are on Tarik Skubal's player page.
Skubal to the Mets: Rotation From +1.0 to +4.0
Four Mets starters qualified in 2026. Nolan McLean led them at +1.2 (B); Skubal's +3.0 is 1.8 more than that. At +4.0, the Mets would rank #6, behind the Yankees (+8.0), Red Sox (+6.2), Brewers and Phillies (+5.5 each) and Rays (+4.3).
Skubal Back to the Dodgers: +1.9 to +4.9
Team totals credit a traded pitcher's whole season to his last club, so the Dodgers' 2026 rotation total of +4.9 already includes Skubal's full +3.0. Without him it is +1.9, #9; re-signing him keeps it at #5. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (+1.8, A) and Shohei Ohtani (+1.5, B) are the next two.
Skubal to the Padres: -3.0 to +0.0
No Padres starter finished above +0.1 in 2026. Skubal's +3.0 would cancel the rotation's -3.0 and move it from #25 to #21.
Skubal to the Blue Jays: -5.2 to -2.2
Ten pitchers qualified as Blue Jays starters in 2026. Dylan Cease (+3.1, S) finished 0.1 ahead of Skubal; seven of the other nine were below zero. Adding Skubal moves Toronto from #28 to #25, still in the bottom six. Every club's departures are listed in MLB free agents by team.
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Quick Answers
Where will Tarik Skubal sign?
No deal as of November 13, 2026. Reports name the Mets as the expected destination, with the Dodgers, Padres and Blue Jays also linked; his +3.0 SEASON NUT would move the Mets' 2026 rotation from #14 to #6 of 30.
Is Tarik Skubal a free agent?
Yes. He filed for free agency on October 29, 2026, after finishing the season with the Dodgers, who acquired him from the Tigers at the August 2026 trade deadline.
How good was Tarik Skubal in 2026?
+3.0 SEASON NUT, an S grade and #6 among 327 qualified MLB pitchers: 12-7 with a 2.72 ERA and 186 strikeouts in 158.2 innings for Detroit and Los Angeles.
Which team gains the most from signing Skubal?
By rank, the Mets: their 2026 rotation goes from +1.0 to +4.0 SEASON NUT, #14 to #6 of 30. The Dodgers and Padres climb 4 spots each, the Blue Jays 3.
What is Tarik Skubal's career NUT?
+11.9 CAREER NUT through 2026, with S grades in 2024 (+3.5), 2025 (+3.8) and 2026 (+3.0). He won the AL Cy Young Award in 2024 and 2025.