Toronto is set to meet with the two-time Cy Young winner in Orange County next week, joining the Mets, Padres and Dodgers.
Tarik Skubal's free agency just got more crowded. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported Wednesday that the Blue Jays are now in the mix for the two-time Cy Young Award winner, expected to sit down with him in Orange County, California, next week alongside the Mets, Padres and Dodgers.
Skubal hit the open market after the season with no team holding his rights, meaning this is a straightforward bidding war rather than anything requiring a trade. At least two more unidentified teams are also expected to land meetings, according to Heyman's report, so the list of suitors could keep growing before anyone signs anything.
Toronto's interest tracks with where the franchise has positioned itself lately. The Blue Jays reached the World Series last year before losing Game 7 to the Dodgers 5-4 in 11 innings, and they have climbed into the sport's upper payroll tier, which has linked them to a different class of free agent than in years past.
The Mets, Padres, Dodgers and now the Blue Jays are all organizations built to spend big, and Skubal is expected to land a contract that resets the market. The Mets are seen as among the favorites given their stated need for an ace.