The Dodgers may still be in the mix for Tarik Skubal, but they’re no longer sitting near the top of the board.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the San Diego Padres have moved into second place in the odds to land Skubal at 4-to-1. The New York Mets remain the clear favorite at 9-5, while the Dodgers are now listed third at 5-to-1.
Heyman also included a group of longer shots in the chase: the Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Orioles, and New York Yankees.
The Padres’ interest is not coming out of nowhere. Jon Morosi has reported that San Diego has already shown interest in Skubal, and the club is expected to be in the market for multiple starting pitchers.
That need stands out because the Padres’ rotation is described as barebones, and they have not tied up much money in pitching. At the same time, they already have significant payroll commitments on the position-player side, with Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, Fernando Tatis, Jake Cronenworth, and Jackson Merrill all on notable contracts.
What San Diego will actually do from here is less clear. The exact spending power of the new ownership group is not known, leaving open the possibility that the Padres either go big or choose to wait until the collective bargaining agreement picture becomes clearer.
For now, the Dodgers still look like the more reliable bet to make a serious run at Skubal based on their spending track record. But with the Padres now emerging as a real threat, agent Scott Boras has plenty to work with as this market develops.
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