The Los Angeles Dodgers are entering what will be a huge offseason for them.
The Dodgers’ offseason is headlined by Tarik Skubal. This is because the two-time Cy Young Award winner is a pending free agent. The Dodgers will certainly try to re-sign him, as he is baseball’s best pitcher.
However, with Skubal being right in his prime at 29 years old, it would make sense if he sees what other offers are out there on the free agent market. The two-time All-Star has set himself up to land a huge payday, and there should be a massive sweepstakes for his services if he tests free agency.
Now, in some bad news for the Dodgers, Skubal is being connected to one of their biggest NL West rivals.
Los Angeles Dodgers Predicted to Lose Tarik Skubal to NL West Rival
In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Zachary D. Rymer named the San Diego Padres among the top potential landing spots for Skubal in free agency.
“If ever there was a way to show they mean business, it’s by signing Skubal away from those darn Dodgers. Maybe it wouldn’t totally undo the little brother vs. big brother dynamic between the two NL West powers, but it would give the Padres a real trump card: the best pitcher in baseball. Besides, the Padres are going to need Skubal if Michael King declines his $28 million player option for 2027 and becomes a free agent.”
If Skubal signed with the Padres, that would undoubtedly be a massive blow to the Dodgers. The Padres are the Dodgers’ biggest threat in the NL West. Thus, if San Diego brought in Skubal, it would certainly make things tougher for Los Angeles next season.
The idea of Skubal joining a Padres club that already has stars like Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Mason Miller, and Jackson Merrill would certainly be concerning for the Dodgers. Thus, Los Angeles will be hoping that they won’t lose Skubal to them.
Dodgers Still Have a Good Chance at Re-Signing Skubal
Although Skubal is going to generate interest from teams like the Padres, the Dodgers successfully re-signing him can’t be ruled out. In fact, they should be viewed among the early favorites to get him signed. This is because they are famous for being big spenders and have a very deep roster. Thus, it would make sense if Skubal ends up wanting to stick around.
Due to this, the Dodgers will be a team to keep an eye on with Skubal this offseason. It will be interesting to see if they can avoid losing him to the Padres or another club this winter.
Los Angeles Dodgers Predicted to Lose Tarik Skubal to NL West Rival