One of the biggest questions hanging over the Dodgers’ offseason is what happens next with Tarik Skubal.
Los Angeles took the gamble at the trade deadline, sending for the two-time Cy Young award winner and accepting the reality that he could hit free agency after the season. On the field, the move paid off right away. Skubal posted a 2.61 ERA across 10 regular season starts for the Dodgers, then looked every bit the front-line arm the club hoped it was getting when October arrived.
President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman addressed Skubal’s future at the team’s end-of-season press conference, and his comments made clear how much the organization valued what the left-hander brought in a short span.
“It’s not easy for a guy to get traded in the middle of a season to come to a new city, new clubhouse,” Friedman said. “The way he was able to seamlessly transition, not just in terms of on the field, but in the clubhouse, I can’t say enough good things about the impact that he made in such a short period of time.”
Skubal’s postseason numbers backed that up. In two October starts, covering 11 innings, he logged a 2.45 ERA with 14 strikeouts and four walks.
Now the Dodgers are left trying to see whether those two outings were just the start of his run in Los Angeles or the end of it. Skubal is headed into free agency as the top name on the market, and the team that lands him is expected to potentially commit close to $500 million.
Friedman didn’t dive into the broader speculation, saying the club’s job is simply to keep talking with Skubal’s agent, Scott Boras.
“He’s put himself in this position to go out and be a free agent. And for us, it’s [to] continue to talk to Scott," Friedman said. "But he and his family have to make a choice over where they want to spend the next X number of years, and obviously we wish him nothing but the best.”
The Dodgers are hoping Skubal’s stay doesn’t end up on a list they know too well. Previous trade-deadline additions who departed the following offseason include Yu Darvish, Manny Machado, Max Scherzer and, most recently, Jack Flaherty, who also arrived from the Detroit Tigers.
In Other News...
Dodgers May Already Have Their Next Crucial Depth Pieces Lined Up
The Dodgers push for a third straight National League Championship Series title ended with injuries serving as a familiar reminder of how quickly a season can strain even a loaded roster. Throughout the year, several key players landed on the injured list, making it clear that depth is not a luxury in Los Angeles so much as a necessity if the club wants to keep rolling deep into October.
Looking ahead, the organization already appears to have a few internal answers on the horizon. Jacob Kmatz, Jackson Ferris, Zach Ehrhard and Alex Freeland are among the prospects who could help fortify the roster and give the Dodgers the kind of reinforcements that matter most when the inevitable wear and tear shows up again, with 2027 shaping up as the year their value could really come into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Face A Bryce Harper Question That Goes Beyond One Trade
The Phillies postseason exit has opened the door to some uncomfortable offseason questions, and Bryce Harper sits near the center of them. Philadelphia is weighing a partial rebuild after another October disappointment, and while Harper and Trea Turner are both part of the conversation, Harpers situation is the harder one to untangle because of the size of his contract and the power of his full no-trade clause.
For the Dodgers, the appeal is obvious on paper. They have the financial muscle to chase almost anyone, but this is also a roster that has been trying to get younger, which makes a Harper pursuit a little less straightforward than it would seem from the outside. Even with Los Angeles always lurking in big-name trade speculation, the path to landing Harper looks complicated enough that this one may stay more rumor than realistic offseason plan. [Read more 🡒]
Former Dodgers Are In This World Series For Better And Worse
The Dodgers are out of the 2026 World Series picture after being swept by the Brewers in the NLCS, but there will still be a familiar Los Angeles connection when the Fall Classic begins. Dustin May, once one of the organizations more intriguing pitching talents, is now with Milwaukee, while Jonny DeLuca is on the other side of the bracket with Tampa Bay, giving former Dodgers a chance to leave a mark on October from afar.
There is a tougher twist for the Rays, though, because Gavin Lux and Ryan Pepiot are both unavailable because of injuries, removing two more ex-Dodgers from the championship stage. For a franchise that has spent years cycling through draft picks, trades and roster churn, it is a reminder that the Dodgers reach extends well beyond Chavez Ravine, even when their own season ends before the World Series is within view. [Read more 🡒]