New Tarik Skubal Rumors on 'Most Obvious' MLB FA Suitors, Timeline for Dodgers Star to Sign Contract

Los Angeles Dodgers star pitcher Tarik Skubal is expected to be the top free agent on the market this winter, but it reportedly won't take him too long to find a deal.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that "the expectation" is that Skubal will sign with a team before the Dec. 1 lockout, and he went on to reveal the favorites to land him.

"The two most obvious suitors are the two teams with the highest payrolls in baseball: The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets. There are bound to be others," Passan stated. "The Chicago Cubs badly want Skubal. They also are skeptical that they will be willing to compete at the sort of dollars Skubal is expected to get -- well in excess of $300 million, potentially in the $400 million-plus range. With Michael King and Nick Pivetta being free agents, the San Diego Padres need a rotation anchor, and arguably the best pitcher in baseball would more than suffice."

Passan went on to add: "Others will join the foray, at the very least showing interest and perhaps joining the bidding. Either way, coming off another excellent season, Skubal will set a new record for a starting pitcher contract. The only question is how big it will be."

In response, ESPN's Buster Olney reported that he's "had a couple of folks estimate he'll get something north of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, in a six- or seven-year deal, with the usual suspects bidding against each other."

After being traded from the Detroit Tigers, Skubal went 5-2 in 10 starts for the Dodgers with a 2.61 ERA. Overall, he finished the 2026 season 12-7 with a 2.72 ERA and 186 strikeouts, continuing his stellar run after winning the last two AL Cy Young Awards.

ESPN's Alden Gonzalez revealed where he believes Skubal is leaning as he approaches free agency.

"All things being equal -- and by "all things" I, of course, mean "money" -- my sense is Skubal would love to return to the Dodgers," Gonzalez stated. "He truly seemed to relish his 2½ months in Los Angeles. He loved the culture, particularly being among so many established, veteran players who were singularly focused on winning. He became besties with Blake Snell, was awed by the organization's resources and, overall, seemed to fit in seamlessly. But it's going to come down to price. And whether the Dodgers would be willing to match Steve Cohen's Mets or any other suitors that materialize given the threat of a salary cap remains to be seen."

Despite Skubal's love for the West Coast, ESPN's Jorge Castillo explained that the Mets won't give up without putting up a fight.

"The Mets will be the more aggressive of the two clubs, and it starts with Tarik Skubal," Castillo stated. "They are considered the favorite to land the prize of this free-agent class for two reasons: (A) there's a clear need for a top-tier starting pitcher, (B) they're one of the very few teams willing to pay top dollar for premier free agents."

It's clear that Skubal will command a competitive market, so it will be interesting to see where he ultimately lands this offseason.