Massive Update On Cubs' Pursuit Of Tarik Skubal
“The 29-year-old Skubal would be a good fit for any team; that much is clear,” Sharma wrote. “But for the Cubs, that’s where the match ends, team sources indicated.”
Sharma reported that with so many holes on the roster, the Cubs “appear unlikely to enter the bidding war” for the two-time Cy Young winner. Labor uncertainty, with the collective bargaining agreement expiring December 1, is also part of the reasoning.
That’s a different tone from what ESPN’s Jeff Passan had heard, after he reported that the Cubs “badly” wanted Skubal to help fix their rotation.
Cubs Rotation Needs A Rebuild
The need is hard to overstate. All five pitchers who finished the season in Chicago’s rotation hit free agency: Shota Imanaga, Matthew Boyd, David Peterson, Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes.
If the season started today, the rotation would be Justin Steele, Edward Cabrera, Ben Brown, Javier Assad and Braxton Garrett. Assad is the only healthy pitcher on the roster with real starting experience, with Steele coming back from injury.
The Cubs went 89-73 last season before getting knocked out by the Padres in two games in the NL Wild Card round.
Cubs will be very active in trying to address their rotation, but don't look for them to enter the Tarik Skubal bidding war. https://t.co/DE5DybnGrG
— Sahadev Sharma (@sahadevsharma) November 9, 2026
They had one of the best defenses in baseball, but their starters gave up the third-most home runs in the majors. That’s why Sharma reported Chicago will focus on pitchers who keep the ball on the ground.
“Though the Cubs are expected to stay on the sidelines during (the Skubal) frenzy, they will at least check in on every other free-agent pitcher,” Sharma wrote.
That includes bringing back some of their own. Holmes had the highest ground-ball rate among starters with at least 100 innings last season, and Peterson ranked eighth. Freddy Peralta and Michael King have also been mentioned as possible fits.
Skubal’s Price Could Break Records
It’s easy to see why Chicago would hesitate, given what Skubal is expected to cost.
He won AL Cy Young Awards in 2024 and 2025, taking the pitching Triple Crown in 2024. He followed that up by going 12-7 with a 2.72 ERA, a 0.96 WHIP and 186 strikeouts over 158.2 innings this season, good for 5.2 fWAR.
He missed six weeks after a procedure on his left elbow, then the Tigers traded him to the Dodgers for three prospects at the deadline. He posted a 2.61 ERA over 10 starts in Los Angeles.
Projections are all over the place but all point in the same direction. ESPN has him at eight years and $352 million, Bleacher Report at nine years and $387 million, and MLB Trade Rumors at nine years and $425 million.
The Chicago Cubs reportedly want Tarik Skubal “badly”, per @JeffPassan “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.” Full article here: https://t.co/ZR2j6lnhiN
— Cubs Zone (@CubsZone) November 2, 2026
Any of those would pass Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s 12-year, $325 million deal as the largest ever for a pitcher, and could also top the $43.33 million AAV record held by Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander.
The Dodgers and Mets are seen as the front-runners. The New York Post’s Jon Heyman has also mentioned the Padres, Giants, Phillies and Blue Jays as teams that could get involved.
Skubal isn’t eligible for a qualifying offer because of his midseason trade, so signing him won’t cost a draft pick. Heyman reported he’s likely to sign in November, before the CBA runs out.
