The Los Angeles Dodgers have officially been eliminated from the MLB playoffs.
The Brewers returned the favor after the 2025 NLCS and gave the Dodgers a taste of their own medicine.
Tarik Skubal, MLB’s biggest free agent, made just one start in the 2026 NLCS, and after being traded from the Detroit Tigers, will hit the open market in November.
Directly after the Dodgers’ playoff exit, predictions started to surface regarding Tarik Skubal’s free-agent contract.
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Tarik Skubal Receives $360 Million Contract Prediction
In a recent predictions piece for BR.com, MLB writer Joel Reuter predicted what the top 10 contracts will look like this offseason in terms of total financial value, and no surprise, Tarik Skubal is at the top of the list, and Reuter notes he will earn a nine-year, $360 million contract:
“One of the best starting pitchers to ever hit the free agent market while still being very much in the prime of his career, Tarik Skubal will have his sights on a record-setting contract. He didn’t miss a beat after joining the Dodgers at the deadline, going 5-2 with a 2.61 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 70 strikeouts in 62 innings. He threw the ball well in a pair of postseason starts.”
Now, the next question becomes: would MLB teams be willing to commit to Tarik Skubal for 9+ years like Reuter projects?
According to Spotrac.com, Tarik Skubal is projected to earn a seven-year deal worth $276 million.
The Skubal sweepstakes will be the biggest storyline in MLB this offseason. Teams that are thought to be in the running include the Dodgers, Detroit Tigers, New York Mets, and San Francisco Giants.
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Is Tarik Skubal Worth $360 Million??
$360 million is a pretty steep price tag for a pitcher, and if Skubal lands that deal, it would be the largest contract in terms of total value ever handed to a pitcher.
With that being said, there might not be a better starter in MLB, and if Skubal did not miss time with an elbow procedure in 2026, he very well could have won a third consecutive Cy Young Award.
He’s been flat-out dominant on the mound in the past three seasons, and his ultra-rare mix of a very high strikeout rate and low walk rate is the perfect recipe for a start to earn a $40 million AAV deal like Reuter suggests.
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Tarik Skubal Receives Bold $360 Million Prediction After Dodgers Playoff Exit