Mets' Skubal backup plan: Clay Holmes or Michael King.

If the New York Mets fail to land ace left-hander Tarik Skubal in free agency, they have already identified two fallback options.

According to a discussion on SNY’s The Mets Pod, the team could pivot to right-handers Clay Holmes or Michael King.

Both pitchers have ties to the American League East and the New York market.

Holmes spent parts of four seasons with the Yankees before being traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2024.

King was also a Yankee before moving to the San Diego Padres in the Juan Soto trade.

The Mets are considered one of the front-runners for Skubal, alongside the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres.

ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel recently listed the Mets, Dodgers, Padres, Yankees, Angels, White Sox and Tigers as the seven teams expected to pursue Skubal.

But the asking price is steep.

Skubal is reportedly seeking a contract in the range of $350 million over a long-term deal.

That figure has already scared off some potential bidders.

The Detroit Tigers, who traded Skubal at the 2024 deadline, are reportedly waiting for a discount that McDaniel said will never come.

“The Tigers are in the mix but they’re waiting for a discount,” McDaniel said.

“That’s pretty comical considering they tried to get a discounted price when Skubal was still in Detroit last offseason and his price has only increased since then.”

For the Mets, the financial commitment is less of a barrier.

Owner Steve Cohen has shown a willingness to spend at the top of the market.

But the competition is fierce.

The Dodgers have already demonstrated they will pay top dollar for elite talent.

The Padres have emerged as a new suitor, according to multiple reports.

Former MLB general manager Jim Duquette weighed in on the race.

“When you start to narrow it down, I feel like it’s the Padres, the Mets, the Dodgers, and maybe there’s one another team,” Duquette said on Foul Territory.

“Maybe it’s the Giants possibly… when I hear the Cubs, the most that they’ve spent on a contract was Jayson Heyward and Dansby Swanson. They’re not spending that kind of money on a starting pitcher.”

If the Mets miss out on Skubal, the backup plan involves two pitchers with very different profiles.

Clay Holmes, 32, was an All-Star closer in 2022 with the Yankees.

He recorded 24 saves that season with a 2.54 ERA.

But his control has been inconsistent.

In 2023, Holmes posted a 3.17 ERA but walked 4.4 batters per nine innings.

He was traded to the Pirates at the 2024 deadline and finished the season with a 3.55 ERA across 58 appearances.

Holmes has expressed interest in becoming a starting pitcher.

The Mets could offer him that opportunity.

Michael King, 29, has already made the transition to a starting role.

With the Padres in 2024, King made 30 starts and posted a 3.67 ERA over 173 innings.

He struck out 201 batters while walking 55.

King was originally a reliever with the Yankees, where he had a 3.08 ERA in 105 appearances from 2021 to 2023.

The Padres acquired him as part of the Soto trade in December 2023.

King is under team control through 2027, meaning the Mets would have to trade for him.

Holmes is a free agent and could be signed without giving up prospects.

Both options carry risk.

Holmes has never started a game in the majors.

King has only one full season as a starter under his belt.

But the Mets are clearly preparing for the possibility that Skubal signs elsewhere.

The market for Skubal is expected to move quickly once the Winter Meetings begin.

Teams can begin negotiating with free agents immediately, but the biggest deals often take weeks to finalize.

The Mets have other rotation needs beyond Skubal.

Kodai Senga is returning from a shoulder injury that limited him to one start in 2024.

The team also has to decide on the futures of Jose Quintana and Luis Severino, both of whom are free agents.

David Stearns, the Mets’ president of baseball operations, has a history of creative roster construction.

He was the architect of the Milwaukee Brewers’ consistent contention on a smaller budget.

With Cohen’s financial backing, Stearns has even more flexibility.