Mets to meet with free-agent ace Tarik Skubal next week

LAS VEGAS — The Mets are meeting with free-agent ace Tarik Skubal next week in Los Angeles, a source confirmed to the New York Daily News, but it’s too early for David Stearns to be able to comment on the premier starting pitcher on the market. The club’s president of baseball operations can’t do that until Skubal becomes a Met. As the MLB general manager meetings got underway Tuesday at the Aria Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, the question of when Skubal would sign was at the top of mind. With only 20 days remaining on the current CBA, a lockout appears unavoidable. It could be in the best interest of Skubal and his agent, Scott Boras, to get a deal done before Dec. 1. kAm%96C6 :D 2 AC64656?E] |2I $496CK6C D:8?65 H:E9 E96 |6ED @? }@G] ah[ a_a`[ EH@ 52JD 367@C6 E96 =2DE =@4<@FE] xE 7@==@H65 2 7C6?K:65 H66<6?5 E92E D2H E96 |6ED D:8? t5F2C5@ tD4@32C[ $E2C=:?8 |2CE6 2?5 |2C< r2?92]k^Am kAmqFE 7@C 2== @7 E96 E2=< 23@FE E96 A@E6?E:2= 7@C 2 7C66 286?E 7C6?KJ 29625 @7 E9:D ?6IE =@4<@FE[ D@ 72C[ E96 a_af\ag |{q @77D62D@? :D >@G:?8 2E E96 D2>6 A246 :E FDF2==J 5@6D] xE’D 3FD:?6DD 2D FDF2= F?E:= E@=5 @E96CH:D6[ H9:49 :D H92E $E62C?D 92D 8=62?65[ 2?5 :E’D 9@H 96’D :?DECF4E65 9:D 7C@?E @77:46 E@ @A6C2E6]k^Am kAm“xE D66>D =:<6 2 ?@C>2= @77 D62D@?[” $E62C?D D2:5 %F6D52J 5FC:?8 E96 @A6? 6I64FE:G6 2G2:=23:=:EJ] “%92E :D E96 766= 7@C >6 H96? x E2=< E@ 286?ED] (96? x E2=< E@ @E96C 6I64FE:G6D[ E92E’D E96 7665324< x’> 86EE:?8 7C@> E96> 2D H6==] %96 A24:?8 @7 2== @7 E9:D D66>D G6CJ C6AC6D6?E2E:G6 @7 H92E H6’G6 6IA6C:6?465]”k^Am kAmx7 E92E’D E96 42D6[ E96? :E 4@F=5 36 2 C6=2E:G6=J F?6G6?E7F= >@?E9] %96 D6?E:>6?E 7C@> @E96C 6I64FE:G6D :D E92E E9:D :D 2? 6G2=F2E:@? A6C:@5] %96J 2C6?’E 96D:E2?E E@ >2<6 2 >@G6 :7 E96C6 :D @?6 E96J D66 2D 36?67:4:2= 7@C E96:C 4=F3] $E:==[ :E E2<6D EH@ E@ E2?8@ H96? :E 4@>6D E@ EC256D[ 2?5 EJA:42==J[ E96 EC256 >2C<6E 5@6D?’E >2E6C:2=:K6 F?E:= =2E6C :? }@G6>36C @C 6G6? :? s646>36C]k^Am kAm~FED:56 @7 DE2CE:?8 A:E49:?8[ $E62C?D D2:5 E96 |6ED 2C6 E2C86E:?8 96=A 2E 7:CDE 32D6]k^Am kAm“(6 E9:?< y2C65 *@F?8 92D E96 23:=:EJ E@ C62==J 36 A2CE @7 2 D@=FE:@? E96C6[” $E62C?D D2:5] “x 5@ E9:?< H6’C6 8@:?8 E@ =@@< E@ DFAA=6>6?E E92E[ H96E96C :E’D D@>6@?6 H9@ E2<6D C68F=2C 2E\32ED[ D@>6@?6 H9@ DA=:ED E:>6 H:E9 y*[ H6’== D66] qFE x 5@ 6IA64E FD E@ DFAA=6>6?E E92E A@D:E:@?]”k^Am kAm*@F?8 :D 4@>:?8 @77 @7 2 42C66C J62C[ 9:EE:?8 ]aee H:E9 `f 5@F3=6D[ E9C66 EC:A=6D 2?5 ?:?6 9@>6 CF?D :? `_b 82>6D[ E96 >@DE 96’D 6G6C A=2J65 :? 2 3:8 =628F6 D62D@?] p =67E\92?565 9:EE6C[ *@F?8 92D 36EE6C DA=:ED 282:?DE C:89E\92?565 9:EE6CD E92? =67E[ E9@F89 96 5:5 9:E =67E:6D 2E 2 9:896C 4=:A H96? 8:G6? >@C6 A=2J:?8 E:>6]k^Am kAm$E62C?D D2:5 96 H@F=5 36 @A6? E@ 2?@E96C =67E\92?565 9:EE6C 2E 7:CDE 32D6[ AC6DF>23=J @?6 H:E9 8@@5 DA=:ED 282:?DE =67E:6D]k^Am kAm*@F?8’D D62D@? 6?565 27E6C 2 4@==:D:@? H:E9 A:E496C }@=2? |4{62? C6DF=E65 :? 2 4@?4FDD:@?[ 3FE $E62C?D D2:5 96’D :? 2 “A6C764E” DA@E ?@H[ 92G:?8 7F==J C64@G6C65]k^Am kAmy@C86 !@=2?4@[ E96 A=2J6C E96 |6ED D:8?65 =2DE J62C E@ A=2J 7:CDE 32D6[ :D?’E D@>6@?6 E96 4=F3 42? 4@?7:56?E=J A6?4:= :? F?E:= E96J A W:7 :E 368:?D @? E:>6X]k^Am kAm!@=2?4@ H:== 724E@C :?E@ E96 sw DA@E ?6IE D62D@?[ 2=@?8 H:E9 @E96CD]k^Am kAm%96C6 2C6?’E >2?J @E96C A@D:E:@? 8C@FAD E96 |6ED 2C6 =@@<:?8 7@C @FED:56 96=A E@ :>AC@G6] q@ q:496EE6 H:== DE2J 2E E9:C5 32D6 2?5 |2C4FD $6>:6? 2E D64@?5] $E62C?D 36=:6G6D $6>:6? H:== 92G6 2 36EE6C D62D@? :? a_af 2?5 D66D E92E 96’D >@E:G2E65 E@ A6C7@C> 36EE6C] %96C6 2C6 A@D:E:@?2= 25;FDE>6?ED E96 |6ED 92G6 2D<65 9:> E@ >2<6 E92E 96’D H@C<:?8 @? E9:D H:?E6C] $E62C?D 2=D@ 4:E65 :?E6C?2= 42?5:52E6D E92E 42? 7:== :? 2E D64@?5 32D6]k^Am kAmw6 5@6D?’E H2?E E@ 6=:>:?2E6 E96 A@DD:3:=:EJ @7 2 EC256 @C 2 D:8?:?8 2E 2?J A@D:E:@?[ 2?5 H9:=6 96’D G6CJ 9:89 @? E96 4=F3’D 72C> DJDE6>[ 96 5@6D?’E H2?E E@ E2<6 2?J@?6 @77 E96 E23=6 H96? :E 4@>6D E@ FD:?8 E96> :? 2 EC256 E92E 4@F=5 :>AC@G6 E96 E62>]k^Am kAm“(6 92G6 @FC :?E6C?2= C2?<:?8D @7 @FC AC@DA64ED] x E9:?< :E’D 7@@=:D9 7@C >6 E@ D2J E92E 2?J@?6 :D 4@>A=6E6=J F?E@F4923=6[ 3FE H6 46CE2:?=J 92G6 8FJD H6 E9:?< G6CJ 9:89=J @7[” $E62C?D D2:5] “%92E H@F=5 36 G6CJ 5:77:4F=E]”k^Am kAm$@[ E96 3:8 BF6DE:@? E92E H:== @?=J 86E 3:886C 2D E96 >@?E9 8@6D @? :D $682562=D H96? 96 766=D :E’D ?646DD2CJ[ 2D 96 5:5 7@C yF2? $@E@ EH@ J62CD 28@] ~H?6C $E6G6 r@96? 4@F=5 2=D@ 36 2 724E@C] %96C6 5@6D?’E D66> E@ 36 2?J D@CE @7 >2?52E6 C6BF:C:?8 $E62C?D E@ 4FE A2JC@== @C 2E =62DE 4FE 324<] x7 r@96? H2?ED 9:>[ 96’== 8:G6 $E62C?D E96 8C66? =:89E E@ 8@ 27E6C 9:>]k^Am kAm%96 49@:46 :D FA E@ $2<6D @?6[ :E’D DE2EFD BF@ 7@C E96 |6ED]k^Am