Tarik Skubal’s free agency is starting to look less like a two-team race and more like a crowded auction.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets may still be viewed as the favorites, but that hasn’t stopped other clubs from jumping in. At the GM Meetings on Wednesday, Scott Boras was fielding calls when he paused to silence his phone and joked to the room, “ Just another owner begging me to meet with Skubal.”
That line came as reports quickly widened the field. Ken Rosenthal said Wednesday that the San Diego Padres had a meeting lined up with Skubal, and Jon Heyman later added the Toronto Blue Jays to the list of teams involved.
Toronto’s entry is notable for Los Angeles fans because the Blue Jays have become a familiar obstacle in free agency. They were in the mix for Shohei Ohtani, missed out on Roki Sasaki, and saw Kyle Tucker choose the higher AAV.
Still, the Blue Jays may be able to offer something the Dodgers are not eager to match. Los Angeles is reportedly interested in bringing Skubal back on a short-term, high-AAV deal, a structure Skubal may not want. Toronto, meanwhile, could present a much bigger number, similar to the 10 years and $350 million it reportedly put in front of Tucker.
That kind of offer could make a real difference if Skubal is weighing long-term security against the Dodgers’ preferred approach.
The Dodgers, for their part, don’t appear to be pushing this as hard as some of the other suitors. Andrew Friedman has confirmed that conversations are happening, but the sense is that Los Angeles is not attacking the process with the same urgency as the Mets. The club also has enough rotation options to keep moving without Skubal, and he already knows the Dodgers’ operation well.
Toronto has had some success in free agency lately, even if its biggest swings haven’t landed. Cy Young finalist Dylan Cease and top Japanese free agent Kazuma Okamoto both joined last offseason.
If the Blue Jays can pry Skubal away from the Dodgers, it would be a major statement. It would also be a chance to remind the sport that Toronto can still win a fight for a marquee name. And with Los Angeles not acting desperate, that opening may be there.
In Other News...
Dodgers Face A Costly Infield Decision After Key Departures
The Dodgers are already looking ahead to how they patch up the infield after a pair of familiar faces moved on, and the early free-agent market has given them a couple of practical options. According to The Athletic, Los Angeles has shown interest in Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Mauricio Dubon as it weighs how to replace the departures of Miguel Rojas, who retired, and Kike Hernandez, who is now a free agent.
Both players bring the kind of flexibility the Dodgers tend to value, with the club evaluating not just defense but whether either can add enough offense to make the fit worthwhile. It is the sort of decision that can quietly shape a roster for months, especially for a team that likes to keep its bench and infield mix adaptable, and the next move will say plenty about how aggressively the Dodgers want to address that opening. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Face One Contract Problem In Tarik Skubal Pursuit
Tarik Skubals arrival last season gave the Dodgers exactly what they hoped for when they swung the trade, and he backed it up with strong work in both the regular season and the postseason. So it is no surprise that Los Angeles is expected to stay in the mix if the left-hander reaches free agency, especially for a club that has never shied away from chasing elite talent when it believes the fit is right.
The complication is the kind that can shape an entire winter: money. The Dodgers have to weigh the expected cost of a long-term Skubal deal against broader financial concerns, including the possibility of a future MLB salary cap, and that could make them more cautious than usual about how far they go. Even with their track record of landing top free agents, this is the sort of contract decision that can force a team to choose between staying aggressive and protecting its long-term flexibility. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Face A Teoscar Hernandez Decision With Bigger Roster Stakes
Teoscar Hernandez has quickly become one of the more interesting names in the Dodgers offseason conversation, with Bob Nightengale reporting that the veteran outfielder is on the trade block as Los Angeles sorts through its next steps. Hernandez is on an expiring contract, which gives the Dodgers a straightforward reason to at least listen, especially with the front office still working through a quiet winter and weighing how to open room for younger talent.
For a club that has made minimal moves so far, the decision goes beyond one players future. The Dodgers are juggling trade talks and free agency at the same time, and moving Hernandez would not just alter the outfield picture, it could also help clear space for prospects pushing for a bigger role. The question now is whether Los Angeles views him as a short-term piece worth keeping or a valuable chip in a roster reshaping that is still very much in motion. [Read more 🡒]