The two-time AL Cy Young winner is expected to sign the largest contract ever given to a pitcher as teams line up to bid.
Free agency has officially begun, and Tarik Skubal is the name everyone in the sport is talking about. The former Detroit Tigers ace and two-time AL Cy Young Award winner is considered the top player on the market this winter, and the expectation across the league is that he will land a record-setting contract for a pitcher.
Early reporting points to the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets as the clubs best positioned to land him. Skubal spent time with the Dodgers and, according to ESPN's Alden Gonzalez, grew close to the organization during that stint, reportedly becoming tight with fellow lefty Blake Snell and coming away impressed by how the team operates. That history has fueled speculation that a reunion with Los Angeles is plausible, even as the Mets are seen as a real threat to pull him away.
With a potential lockout looming in the coming weeks, teams have added incentive to move quickly on top targets before the market freezes up. Skubal headlines a free-agent class that thins out fast after him, meaning the bidding for his services figures to be fierce. No deal has been reached yet, and the market is expected to keep developing as other clubs make their interest known.