The Los Angeles Dodgers are on the clock to re-sign ace Tarik Skubal, and it ends on December 1.
That’s when the current collective bargaining agreement expires. Owners are expected to initiate a lockout the very next day. A lockout puts all major league transactions on hold: no trades, no free agent signings, not even negotiations. And the two sides are reportedly extremely far apart.
Which brings the conversation to Tarik Skubal. The two-time Cy Young Award winner is the top free agent on the market, and Jeff Passan of ESPN expects him to command at least $45 million a year.
There’s also plenty of uncertainty about what the new CBA will look like. Owners have proposed dramatic measures such as a hard salary cap and a maximum length on contracts. A salary cap would likely be phased in, and existing player contracts are expected to remain untouched.
So, for a team that spends like the Dodgers, the smart move is to lock up Skubal under the current rules. That way, by the time the new CBA rolls around, the contract is already done.
That’s easier said than done.
Dodgers Face Pressure From Other Tarik Skubal Suitors
Passan’s latest piece in ESPN spells out the problem.
The Dodgers won’t have the field to themselves. Passan wrote that the Dodgers will be in the mix, but to what extent is unclear, and he named the Mets, Padres and Blue Jays as competition. The Dodgers, Mets, Blue Jays and Padres reportedly have meetings with Skubal next week.
Each of those clubs has a reason to move fast. The Mets can sign Skubal and stay under the cap even if one is implemented, and Passan says that puts them in the strongest position to land him. The Padres have no rotation to speak of and are casting a wide net.
And the clock is real. Many around the sport expect Skubal to sign before the lockout. The last time the CBA expired, teams scrambled to sign prominent free agents, with $1.9 billion in contracts signed before the freeze.
Here’s the thing: Passan reports that Tarik Skubal has no interest in a shorter-term, higher-dollar deal, which could disadvantage the Dodgers. The Athletic reported that the Dodgers’ interest would be contingent on Skubal being open to a short-term deal.
If that’s the case, the Dodgers might have to adjust. Waiting it out isn’t an option.
Los Angeles Is the Best Landing Spot for Their Ace
Still, make no mistake. There isn’t a better place for Skubal to land than Los Angeles.
For starters, he’s already been there. The Dodgers acquired him from the Tigers at the trade deadline for three prospects. Skubal has raved about his time in LA, and reports say he’d love to return.
He’d also be the ace. The Dodgers’ other rotation options include Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki and Shohei Ohtani. That’s a deep group, but none of them is Skubal.
Then there’s the lineup. Passan notes that aside from Skubal, the Dodgers return all of the core players from a 100-win team. All 11 players who logged at least 253 plate appearances in 2026 are signed through at least 2027. Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Kyle Tucker and Will Smith are all still there.
Is it a perfect situation? Not exactly. The Dodgers were swept by the Brewers in the NLCS. Their position-player group was also the oldest in the majors.
But this is a franchise that has won three championships in six years. And Tarik Skubal said it was very tough to leave the Tigers having fallen short of the goal of winning a title. If winning is the priority, there’s no better place for him to do it in the years to come.
The Dodgers have the roster. They have a window. Now they have to beat the clock.
Dodgers On The Clock to Sign Tarik Skubal