7 Teams Emerge In Tarik Skubal Free Agency Sweepstakes
The survey was of 27 industry insiders and ran October 2, so it reflects how people around the game see his market, and free agency hasn’t opened yet.
The Contenders
The Dodgers acquired Skubal from Detroit on August 1, and he went 5-2 with a 2.61 ERA in 10 starts for them before they were swept out of the NLCS, but McDaniel noted some hesitation about them because of the uncertainty around the team’s ownership.
Most insiders projected the Dodgers and Mets as serious bidders, though some thought New York might prefer a shorter-term deal like the one it gave Bo Bichette, which might not work if Skubal wants a record guarantee.
The following teams are potential suitors for Tarik Skubal, per @Feinsand - Dodgers - Tigers - Mets - Cubs - Blue Jays - Phillies (https://t.co/z9OkQlNs3h) https://t.co/e4jzLF4OVR
— Punchoutpitch (@Punchoutpitch) October 21, 2026
The Tigers traded him for outfielder Zyhir Hope and right-handers River Ryan and Brady Smith, and McDaniel wrote they were more likely to be on the periphery than a true contender, though Skubal has said he would love to return.
The Yankees were “just behind that lead group in total mentions,” McDaniel wrote, and several insiders saw them as a fallback if the Dodgers don’t break the bank and the Mets stick to shorter deals.
Adding Skubal to Cam Schlittler, Ryan Weathers, Will Warren, and Clarke Schmidt would give New York arguably the best rotation in baseball.
The Sleepers And The Price
The Angels, White Sox, and Padres were all mentioned as sleepers, and McDaniel pointed out the Angels and Padres have new ownership while the White Sox have a new owner in waiting.
Skubal went 12-7 with a 2.72 ERA and 186 strikeouts in 158.2 innings this season, and when asked about his future after the Dodgers’ elimination he said, “I’m not going to comment on my future really at all.”
The 27 insiders’ contract projections averaged eight years and $355 million, or $44.6 million a year, and ranged from four years and $176 million to 10 years and $500 million.
Tarik Skubal says he doesn’t buy into the narrative that the Dodgers championship window is over after losing in the NLCS 🙏 “I don’t feel that at all. It’s hard to win the World Series and this group has done it the last two seasons. I think this group is incredibly talented.” Will Skubal be back next year to prove this? Via @maddie_m_lee , LA Times
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) October 26, 2026
Sixteen of the 27 landed between $325 million and $400 million over seven to 10 years, while Spotrac’s model projects a lower seven-year, $276 million deal.
The record for a pitcher’s guarantee is Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s $325 million, and 21 of the 27 insiders expected Skubal to sign before December 1, when the CBA expires and a lockout is expected to begin.
Free agency opens five days after the World Series ends.
