{"id":1724,"section":"sports","section_label":"Sports","url":"https://www.brokenews.co/sports/1724","headline":"Skubal free agency opens with Dodgers, Mets as early favorites","dek":"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.","body":"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.\n\nEarly 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.\n\nWith 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.","published_at":"2026-11-02T22:19:02.262734+00:00","source_count":5,"written_from":[{"outlet":"New York Post","publisher":"New York Post","title":"Tarik Skubal next team odds: Dodgers, Mets emerge as favorites as free agency begins","url":"https://nypost.com/2026/11/02/betting/tarik-skubal-next-team-odds-dodgers-mets-emerge-as-favorites-as-free-agency-begins/"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"MLB rumors: Will Tarik Skubal becoming ‘besties’ with Blake Snell help bring him back to Dodgers amid Mets threat?","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/mlb-rumors-tarik-skubal-becoming-184609351.html"},{"outlet":"CBS Sports","publisher":"CBS Sports","title":"MLB rumors: Early favorites for Tarik Skubal emerge, plus Astros eye old friend in hunt for new manager","url":"https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-rumors-nov-2-tarik-skubal-free-agency-astros-brad-ausmus/"},{"outlet":"ESPN","publisher":"ESPN","title":"MLB offseason rumors and intel: What we're hearing as free agency begins","url":"https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/50328890/mlb-early-free-agency-buzz-intel-skubal-trade-rumors"},{"outlet":"The Athletic","publisher":"The Athletic","title":"Top MLB free agents for the 2026-27 offseason: Tarik Skubal leads a shallow class","url":"https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7730027/2026/11/02/mlb-free-agent-ranking-2026-2027-tarik-skubal/"}],"more_coverage":[{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Tarik Skubal Predicted To Ditch Dodgers, Join Big Spender On East Coast","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/tarik-skubal-predicted-ditch-dodgers-141724791.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Cubs Reportedly 'Badly' Want Tarik Skubal, Skeptical Of This One Thing","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/cubs-reportedly-badly-want-tarik-143356872.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Latest Tarik Skubal free agency buzz: Ace expected to sign before lockout","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/latest-tarik-skubal-free-agency-151247324.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Cubs have 'skeptical' $400 million problem with Tarik Skubal rumor","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/cubs-skeptical-400-million-problem-160723025.html"},{"outlet":"New York Post","publisher":"New York Post","title":"Dodgers face new big-market contender for Tarik Skubal who want him ‘badly’","url":"https://nypost.com/2026/11/02/sports/espn-mlb-insider-reveals-cubs-badly-want-tarik-skubal/"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"MLB rumors: Cubs ‘badly want’ Tarik Skubal, but there’s a $400 million elephant in room","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/mlb-rumors-cubs-badly-want-174242583.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Dodgers face new big-market contender for Tarik Skubal who want him ‘badly’","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/dodgers-face-big-market-contender-180144182.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Tarik Skubal free agency decision timeline revealed with lockout looming","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/tarik-skubal-free-agency-decision-194134514.html"},{"outlet":"Yahoo Sports","publisher":"Yahoo Sports","title":"Dodgers Have One Month to Keep Tarik Skubal Before MLB Lockout","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/dodgers-one-month-keep-tarik-002801722.html"}],"image":{"url":"https://sportshub.cbsistatic.com/i/2026/11/02/da46947d-20be-478d-86a4-720385631e85/skubal-getty-6.png","credit":"CBS Sports","width":1920},"embed":null,"license":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/","attribution":"Analysis data is licensed CC BY 4.0. Credit brokenews and link to the story page you took it from. Source headlines, story titles taken from a source headline, and quoted passages remain the property of their publishers and are quoted for comparison, not licensed onward.","terms":"https://www.brokenews.co/about#reuse"}