If Tarik Skubal decides to take his next deal somewhere other than Los Angeles, the Dodgers won’t be left scrambling. They’d still have options, and the list starts with a few arms who could make sense depending on how much risk and term the club wants to absorb.
The big question with Skubal is simple: how far does the price climb? He’s a couple of weeks shy of 30, and the numbers around his next contract are already drifting into eye-watering territory.
A 10-year, $350 million deal? $400 million?
Maybe even more? That’s the kind of commitment that could push the Dodgers into a tough decision, especially with Andrew Friedman having generally leaned away from those massive long-term pacts in favor of shorter deals with huge average annual values.
There’s also the larger financial picture hanging over everything. Mark Walter’s need to shed assets amid the federal investigation into his insurance businesses raises real questions about how long this level of spending can continue, even if the Dodgers insist nothing is changing.
So if Skubal lands elsewhere, Los Angeles would pivot. And while no one on this list matches him pitch for pitch, the Dodgers wouldn’t need a clone. They’d need a starter who fits, and maybe one who gives them more flexibility.
Freddy Peralta is one name that keeps coming up. Last offseason, when Skubal was being floated in trade chatter, Peralta was often viewed as the next-best alternative.
A rough stint with the Mets knocked him down a peg, but his rebound with the Rays pushed him back into the conversation. MLB insider Jim Bowden even has him ranked as the top free agent after Skubal.
Peralta’s World Series Game 3 outing for the Rays was a reminder that he’s not perfect. He went 4.1 innings, allowed seven hits and five earned runs, walked three and struck out four on 87 pitches.
It was the first time he’d given up more than one run in a start since Aug. 21.
Even so, his overall track record still points to a pitcher who can work near the top of a rotation. He doesn’t bring Skubal’s level of dominance, and efficiency has been an issue, but very few starters do.
With Yoshinobu Yamamoto already in place, Peralta would still fit.
Sonny Gray is another possibility, and maybe the safest one of the group. For years, the concern around Gray was that he couldn’t handle the pressure cooker of a big market.
That reputation came from the way he seemed overwhelmed by failure with the Yankees almost a decade ago. But his season with the Red Sox changed the conversation.
He posted a 2.72 ERA across 29 starts and 169 innings, putting himself in position for a top-five finish in the AL Cy Young race.
At 37, Gray is looking at a short-term deal, which could appeal to the Dodgers. He’s also the kind of pitcher who wants a chance to win a ring, and that matters. Los Angeles still comes with expectations, but it’s a far less punishing stage than the Bronx.
Then there’s Kaima Taira, the wild card from NPB. His frame doesn’t look like the usual starter’s build at five-foot-eight and 225 pounds, but his stuff makes up for it.
He can reach 100 miles per hour with his four-seamer, and the pitch has excellent shape. That’s only part of the package.
Taira turned heads with a 1.36 ERA over 146 innings this year, and he’s not just a starter in the traditional sense. For most of his NPB career, he’s been a dominant closer, and he piled up 31 saves in 2025.
That could be viewed as a drawback, but it might also be a feature. The Dodgers could use him as a No. 2 starter during the regular season, then shift him to the bullpen in October if Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and the rest are healthy.
In that scenario, Taira could help solve the Dodgers’ recurring playoff relief problem.
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The Dodgers have already shown they are willing to think ahead, and the next step may involve leaning more heavily on younger talent from a farm system that has given them real options. Freemans decline in power, speed and defense makes the decision more complicated, because this is not just about sentiment or legacy, but about how long the Dodgers can keep one of their most trusted veterans at the center of their plans. [Read more 🡒]