Korner Konfidential — Mets Hot Stove Report: Day 8
Day 8 — Friday, November 6, 2026. The Mets finally have a signing to report — no, it is not Tarik Skubal. On Friday afternoon the club brought back veteran right-hander Robert Stock on a one-year deal, the first actual transaction of the winter with a name attached. The Skubal clock, meanwhile, got louder: Jon Heyman reports some in the industry expect the ace to come off the board early, ESPN's Jorge Castillo says the real action starts at next week's GM meetings, and Blake Snell is out in public recruiting his friend to stay a Dodger. Sorted, as always, into what's reported and what's just talked about.
🔥 THE BIG BOARD — Reports
Tarik Skubal, dealing for Detroit. Photo: Jeffrey Hyde, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0).
First signing of the winter: Robert Stock is back. The Mets announced Friday that they have signed right-hander Robert Stock to a one-year Major League contract. Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, reporting on X, adds the important detail: it is a one-year split contract. Stock, 36 — he turns 37 later this month — spent September in the Mets' rotation, flashing plus velocity despite thoracic outlet surgery in March, and DiComo's read is that he probably profiles more as a bullpen option long-term. The numbers from 2026: a 5.93 ERA with 29 strikeouts and 15 walks in 30 1/3 innings over eight appearances, seven of them starts, after the club selected his contract in early August. This is depth, not a headline — a familiar arm who can start in a pinch and relieve in a longer role — but after four days of watching other people's rumors, the Mets have actually signed somebody. One caution from the NBC Sports/Rotoworld note: Stock could get the same sign-and-designate treatment Kyren Paris and Christian Cairo got, with the club hoping he clears waivers — though NBC itself notes someone might grab him, because the arm is lively and the money is barely above the minimum. That part is speculation about the mechanism, not a reported plan; the signing itself is official.
The Skubal clock: early, and starting next week. MLB Trade Rumors' Thursday-night roundup of the Skubal market pulls the week's threads together, and the new thread matters most: Heyman wrote Thursday evening that some people in the industry expect Skubal to come off the board early. MLBTR's framing is the one to internalize — we are still in the preliminary stages, but with three and a half weeks until the December 1 lockout, next week's GM meetings in Las Vegas figure to take on more importance than in most years. ESPN's Jorge Castillo, via Bleacher Report on Friday, says the same thing from the other side of the room: people inside the game expect the action of the offseason to start as soon as the GM meetings begin, with a consensus that November will be frenetic, like the run-up to the 2021 lockout — free agents coming off the board, trades being made, a flurry before the league shuts down. The rest of the MLBTR roundup is the shape we have been tracking all week: the Mets and Dodgers are viewed as the two likeliest destinations; Heyman reported Wednesday the Mets are interested but have not yet determined how far they will go, two years into the Juan Soto contract; ESPN's Jeff Passan wrote Monday the Cubs will be in but could balk at a price well in excess of $300 million; and neither the Mets under David Stearns nor the Dodgers have made a habit of long-term pitcher deals — both made an exception for Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and the Mets have yet to sign any non-Soto free agent for more than three years under Stearns. Somebody's habit breaks this month.
Sources: MLB Trade Rumors · Bleacher Report (Castillo, ESPN)
Snell is recruiting Skubal to stay — out loud. If you want to know what the Dodgers' clubhouse advantage sounds like, Blake Snell said it Thursday at a Dodgers Foundation event in Altadena, talking to David Vassegh of SportsNet LA: “I talk to him every day. He's good. He knows how I feel. I want nothing more than him to be a Dodger. But again, it's a life decision for him and his family, so I respect that. I've done my pitch. I hear the Dodger fans hitting me up all the time to get lil' bro to stay here. We'll see what he does, but I think we have a good shot.” Snell had already urged Skubal to stay right after the Dodgers were eliminated in the NLCS, telling him they had unfinished business. None of this moves a Scott Boras negotiation by itself — hundreds of millions move those — but it is a real, on-the-record recruiting pitch from the pitcher closest to Skubal in Los Angeles, and it underlines what the Mets are bidding against: not just the Dodgers' money, but a place Skubal already knows, with a friend already in his ear every day.
Sources: Dodgers Nation (SportsNet LA)
A patch for Kooz, and the housekeeping. The Mets will honor Jerry Koosman all through 2027, announcing Thursday that the club will wear a memorial patch on the sleeves of both its home and road uniforms — a fitting, season-long tribute to the Miracle Met who died November 1 at 83, and whose In Memoriam coverage has filled this site all week. On the roster wire, still nothing: no waiver resolution has been reported for Kyren Paris or Christian Cairo for a fourth straight day since the sign-and-designate gambit, and we will move the Tracker the moment the wire does. The calendar from here is dense: the Arizona Fall League Fall Stars Game is Sunday, November 8 at 8 PM ET (Mets pitchers Irving Cota and Ryan Lambert are in it); Carson Benge's National League Rookie of the Year winner is announced Monday, November 9; the GM meetings run November 9–12 in Las Vegas; qualifying-offer answers and the Rule 5 protection deadline land November 17; and the tender deadline is November 20 — all of it against the December 1 lockout clock.
Sources: Metsmerized Morning Briefing
🗣️ THE SPECULATION DESK — Talk, Not News
Three signings in spite of Stearns. Rising Apple's Friday argument is a clean Speculation Desk item because it says the quiet part itself: these are moves David Stearns would not normally make. One, Skubal — break the three-year starter rule, because the richest pitcher contract in history is not coming on a Stearns-length deal, and the club already broke its own comfort zone for Juan Soto. Two, Teruaki Sato — ignore the cooled pursuit, move the Triple Crown winner to first base, and make up for passing on Munetaka Murakami last year; note carefully that the reported layer here runs the other way, with Sammon reporting the Mets are less inclined on Sato with Bo Bichette back at third, so this is a writer arguing against the reporting, not with it. Three, Adrián Morejón — pay the qualifying-offer price (the Mets' second- and fifth-highest draft picks plus $1 million in international bonus money) for a 27-year-old elite lefty reliever on a multi-year deal. A tidy tour of the winter's three pressure points. All argument, no talks reported.
Sources: Rising Apple
Does Skubal even want New York? A radio doubt. SNY voice Sal Licata threw cold water on the whole chase this week, in comments picked up Friday: he has no doubt the Mets will chase Skubal, but doubts Skubal will say yes — arguing, in essence, that unlike Juan Soto, who had already proved he could handle New York with the Yankees, Skubal has shown no sign he wants that particular smoke. The SNY Mets Pod version of the same conversation asked the pivot question — if not Skubal, four years of Michael King or two years of Clay Holmes? File all of it where it belongs: talk radio and podcast opinion, useful as a temperature check on the fan base's anxiety, useless as reporting on Skubal's preferences. Skubal himself, asked after the NLCS, declined to comment on his future at all.
Sources: Sportskeeda (Licata, SNY)
The outbid question. Metsmerized's Robert Colonna asks the version of the Skubal question that will decide this winter: will Steve Cohen actually take the plunge and vastly outbid the field — something MMO argues the Mets have never truly done in the Cohen era, even for Soto, Yamamoto, Tucker or Schwarber, where their offers were close or better only on technicalities? The analysts MMO cites — Chelsea Janes (SNY) saying if Cohen wants Skubal the Mets will pay whatever it takes, Alden González (ESPN) saying it comes down to whether the Dodgers match, and Jorge Castillo (ESPN) calling the Mets the more aggressive bidder — are real reporting about the shape of the fight. The conclusion MMO draws from them, that it may take 20, 40 or 60 percent above the Dodgers' offer, is an argument. We will know which it was when the number prints.
Sources: Metsmerized Morning Briefing
Beat Tweets
One real beat post today — and it is already on the Board. Anthony DiComo of MLB.com posted the key detail on the Robert Stock signing on X — that it is a one-year split contract, with Stock profiling more as a bullpen option long-term — and that post is credited as a source on the Big Board item above. No embeddable status ID for it surfaced in today's sweep, and the rest of the 13-handle roster — Puma, Sammon, Britton, Martino, Gelbs, Ragazzo, Heyman, Sherman, Goodman, Albanese, Mastracco and Pantorno — produced no other news-bearing posts with verifiable status IDs since yesterday's edition. We don't fabricate embeds; when a signing breaks with a clean, verifiable post, this section will carry the iframe itself.
WINTER BALL & FALL LEAGUE WATCH
The stove isn't the only thing still warm. A small army of Mets — big leaguers, top prospects, and a few names only the true sickos know — is playing real baseball right now in the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Arizona. This section stays in the Korner all winter, updated as the numbers move, because on the slow news days this IS the baseball. No newer Metsmerized winter recap had been published by press time Friday than the November 5 recap of Wednesday's games, so today's lines run through Wednesday — stated plainly, as always — with the Fall Stars Game now two days away.
PUERTO RICO (LBPRC). The Puerto Rican Winter League opened Wednesday, and three Mets prospects are on the Leones de Ponce roster: Jacob Reimer, John Bay and Eli Serrano III (Mike Mayer, Metsmerized). Reimer got the first headline: looking to rebound from a groin-complicated season at Double-A Binghamton (.232/.335/.384, eight homers in 80 games; MMO's No. 6 prospect to start the year, No. 12 by August), he went 1-for-4 with a double and two strikeouts in Ponce's 4-1 Opening Day loss. Bay, the 25-year-old center fielder who hit 16 homers with a .789 OPS across Binghamton and Brooklyn this year, went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts. Serrano is the third Met on the roster; no line for him on Opening Day. (Metsmerized)
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC (LIDOM). Ronny Mauricio's second game was as loud as his first: 2-for-4 with two runs scored, a stolen base, a walk and a strikeout for the Tigres del Licey — one night after homering in his Dominican Winter League debut. The No. 1 prospect, Jefferson Rojas, went 0-for-2 for the Gigantes del Cibao and is now hitless in his last two looks after the 0-for-3 on Tuesday (7-for-34 overall this winter); the two homers from his second game — a 401-footer at 106 mph and a 429-footer — are right here. His Gigantes teammate Eddinson Paulino went 0-for-3 with a strikeout. Also in the league this winter: Christopher Morel (Águilas) is off to a .200 start with a homer between first base and the outfield corners; Vidal Bruján (Escogido) sits at .214/.343/.464 and is now a Brave on a minor league deal; and Ofreidy Gómez has thrown scoreless innings. (Metsmerized)
VENEZUELA (LVBP). Luis Torrens played right field for the second day in a row on Wednesday — the catcher's winter tour of the diamond continues — and this time the bat came with him: 1-for-5 with a double and two RBIs in Magallanes' 8-7 win. Francisco Alvarez, DH'ing again, went 1-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts, a quieter night after Tuesday's patient 1-for-2 with three walks and Saturday's game-winning grand slam. Saul García allowed one run on two hits with one strikeout in one inning — his first earned run of this stretch after Tuesday's scoreless, win-earning inning. Joander Suarez (four appearances, 5.79 ERA) rounds out the Magallanes Mets. (Metsmerized)
MEXICO (LMP). A mixed Wednesday in Obregón: Marco Vargas, playing third base, went 1-for-4 with a strikeout and made his second error of the winter; shortstop Kevin Villavicencio went 1-for-3 and also made an error, cooling a touch after Tuesday's 2-for-4, three-RBI night had him at .313. The night's best Mets line in Mexico belonged to catcher Alejandro Urías: 3-for-5 with a double, a stolen base and three runs scored for Los Mochis. Urías, 24, went 5-for-12 with a homer in three games for Brooklyn this year — a name for the depth chart. (Metsmerized)
ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE. No new Surprise line since Tuesday's action — the countdown is the story now. Irving Cota (15 strikeouts in 12⅔ innings, 0.87 WHIP) and Ryan Lambert (still no hit or earned run allowed in six innings, 10 strikeouts) are Fall Stars, and the Fall Stars Game is this Sunday, November 8, at 8 PM ET on MLB Network, in a game that also includes 10 of MLB's top 100 prospects. The rest of the Surprise ledger stands: Calvin Ziegler threw two-thirds of a scoreless inning Tuesday (he has allowed 10 earned runs in 4⅔ AFL innings), Peyton Prescott's ERA sits at 6.52, Brendan Girton has yet to allow a run in 4⅓ innings, Boston Baro's OPS is .778 and Bruin Agbayani's is .440. The AFL wraps up November 14. (Grand Central Mets)
Full winter ball stats for every Mets farmhand, updated weekly, live at Baseball America. If a Met does something down there, you'll read about it here.
📋 RUMOR TRACKER
Tarik Skubal — UPDATE Fri Nov 6: Heyman (via MLBTR Thu night) — some in the industry expect Skubal to come off the board early; Castillo (ESPN) — the action starts at the GM meetings, November will be frenetic. Snell (SportsNet LA) is publicly recruiting him to stay a Dodger (“I've done my pitch… I think we have a good shot”). Bowden: Cohen's No. 1 priority. Status: unsigned; Mets vs. Dodgers, expected before Dec 1.
Robert Stock — NEW Fri Nov 6: re-signed to a one-year Major League split contract (team announced; DiComo). 36, 5.93 ERA in 30⅓ IP in 2026 after TOS surgery; profiles as bullpen/long relief. Status: FIRST Mets signing of the winter — depth arm; NBC notes a possible sign-and-designate follow-up (talk, not a reported plan).
Teruaki Sato — Britton/Sammon (The Athletic): Mets unlikely to make a big splash; less inclined with Bichette at 3B and Benge in RF. Rising Apple argues Friday for signing him anyway and moving him to 1B (talk). Posted Sun Nov 1; window runs to Dec 1. Status: cooled — pursuit downgraded, not closed.
Michael King — Post pricing — expected at least 3 yrs/$80M; San Diego could keep him; Ellis hire gives Mets added insight. Mets met with him last winter. Status: top consolation prize; circle back.
Clay Holmes — Post pricing — pegged at 2–3 yrs, $40–50M after declining his $12M Cubs option. SNY's Janes: both sides open to a reunion at the right price. Status: reunion watch, price now framed.
Shoki Oda — 18-year-old Japanese RHP (97 mph, fastest ever at Koshien) met with the Mets, Phillies and Rangers this week (Yakyu Cosmopolitan); a dozen clubs interested; Dodgers considered the favorites; expected $3–5M bonus as an international amateur, signable Jan 15. Status: meeting held — long-term play, not 2027 help.
Kaima Taira — Posted Sun Nov 1; Mets among the clubs that scouted him. Status: on the market; negotiations open.
Hiromi Itoh — Posted from Japan (Hokkaido) Sun Nov 1. Status: posting watch — no Mets link reported.
Si Hwan Roh — KBO third baseman posted by Hanwha; 30-day window ends Dec 1 (Sherman). Status: posting watch — no Mets link reported.
Drew Rasmussen — Rays exercised his $20M option — NOT a free agent; Neander reiterates he intends Rasmussen to lead Tampa Bay's 2027 rotation. Status: trade watch at a known $20M price, Rays saying not available.
Nathan Eovaldi — Grant (Dallas Morning News) — Rangers will search for trade partners for Seager and deGrom, and perhaps Eovaldi ($24M owed for 2027; turns 37 in Feb). Status: availability reported; no Mets talks reported.
Alec Bohm — The Phillies' third baseman is a free agent (Wed Nov 4). Status: on the market; no fresh Mets link reported.
Sonny Gray / Nick Martinez — Both free as of Fri Oct 30. Martinez also named in the Post's next tier (2 yrs/~$40M, with Gausman). Status: veteran fallback tier.
Nick Pivetta — Padres declined his $14M club option (Acee). Status: veteran-arm tier; no Mets link reported.
Emilio Pagán — Declined his $10M player option with Cincinnati (Romero); 25 saves, 3.38 ERA. Status: bullpen tier; no Mets link reported.
David Bednar / Adrián Morejón — Both received $23.15M qualifying offers. Answers due Nov 17; rejecting and signing elsewhere costs the new club a draft pick. Rising Apple argues Friday the Mets should pay that price for Morejón anyway (talk). Status: bullpen market, with a QO price tag.
Kenley Jansen — Free agent after Detroit declined his club option. Status: veteran closer on the market; no Mets link reported.
Luis Robert Jr. — Orioles declined his $20M option ($2M buyout). The ex-Met is a free agent. Status: on the market; no reunion reporting.
Dustin May — Free agent: declined his $20M mutual option with Milwaukee. Status: veteran-arm tier; no Mets link reported.
Jeff McNeil — Free agent: the A's declined his option and the Mets cover the $2M buyout. Status: ex-Met on the market; no reunion reporting.
Sean Manaea — Sportsnaut predicts he's the Met dealt before Opening Day. Status: speculation only — no shopping reported.
Rafael Devers — MLBTR lists him as a trade candidate in San Francisco; the Mets link is an idea piece only. Status: watch, don't believe yet.
Devin Williams — Rising Apple argues for restoring him to a setup role with added closer competition. Status: opinion only — no club move reported.
Trevor Megill / MacKenzie Gore / Spencer Torkelson — Floated as trade fits by Rising Apple/FanSided. Status: fits list only — no talks reported.
Jack Anderson / Pierson Ohl — Claimed off waivers Mon Nov 2 (Anderson from Minnesota, Ohl from Colorado). Status: depth arms with options.
Kyren Paris / Christian Cairo — Signed major league deals for 2027, then designated for assignment in the sign-and-pass gambit (MLBTR). Status: STILL no waiver resolution reported at press time Fri Nov 6 — fourth day on the wire.
Bo Bichette — ✅ RESOLVED. Opted in for 2027 — see the Korner column, “Bo Knows: 42 Million Reasons.” His return at 3B reshaped the Sato pursuit.
Sandy Alcantara — ✅ OFF THE BOARD: the Marlins exercised his 2027 club option. Status: staying in Miami.
Vidal Bruján — ✅ RESOLVED Sun Nov 1: signed a minor league deal with the Braves, with a spring-training invite.
40-man roster — ✅ RESOLVED Mon Nov 2, churn continuing: Paris and Cairo designated, still unresolved Fri; Stock added Fri Nov 6 on a one-year split deal. Next churn: Rule 5 protection deadline Nov 17.
That's the stove for today. Same time tomorrow — if the Mets do something at 11 PM, the Tracker hears about it first.
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