The Detroit Tigers made the difficult decision to part ways with ace pitcher Tarik Skubal, who had won consecutive American League Cy Young Awards, in early August by trading him in a blockbuster deal to the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Tigers received a haul of prospects in return for Skubal, who is going to soon be eligible for unrestricted free agency soon after the Dodgers were swept stunningly by the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series.
And while Skubal has been linked as a potential candidate to return to the Tigers in the offseason, one key MLB Insider is predicting Skubal to land with a club in the same division as the Dodgers.
MLB Insider Predicts Former Detroit Tigers Ace Tarik Skubal To Land With The San Diego Padres
Per Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report, the San Diego Padres are predicted to win the Tarik Skubal sweepstakes this offseason, which would put to rest any possibility of him returning to the Motor City.
“Picking the Dodgers, the Mets or even the Tigers as the team that signs Tarik Skubal this winter wouldn’t be bold,” he wrote. “MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand had those three, the Phillies, the Blue Jays and the Cubs among the six potential, realistic suitors who could give Skubal an historic contract.
“Why aren’t the Padres on that list, though, especially under new ownership? When Steve Cohen became the Mets’ principal owner in 2020, their payroll pretty much immediately skyrocketed. Same goes for when Mark Walter and the Guggenheim group bought the Dodgers back in 2012. And one kind of has to assume the group headed by Kwanza Jones and José E. Feliciano is going to be aggressively trying to win right away.”
Miller concluded:
“Even though they do have a ton of money tied up in Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill through 2033 and beyond, they simply have to swing big for arguably the best pitcher in the sport today.”
Tarik Skubal Does Not Believe That The Dodgers’ World Series Window Has Closed
Recently, Skubal was asked if he feels that the World Series window for the Dodgers, who were swept in stunning fashion in the NLCS by the Milwaukee Brewers, is closed.
Simply put, the southpaw said that’s out of the question.
“I don’t feel that way at all,” Skubal said.
“It’s hard to win the World Series, and this group has done it the last two seasons. Obviously, not this year, but … I think that this group is incredibly talented. And the preparation and the work ethic that this group has — I don’t buy into that narrative.”
Skubal, who took the loss in Game 1 against the Brewers, went 5-2 with a 2.61 ERA in regular season play for the Dodgers, while going 1-1 in the postseason with a 2.45 ERA.
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