When Tarik Skubal’s free agency starts getting sorted out, the dollars will be the loudest part of the conversation. That’s how it always goes. Years, average annual value, opt-outs - those are the first things everyone reaches for when a star gets to this point.
But this one feels like it has more layers than a normal bidding war.
The Dodgers’ pitch to Skubal isn’t just about the contract Andrew Friedman can put on paper. Blake Snell is part of it, and that matters.
From the moment Skubal arrived at the deadline, he and Snell connected. Tyler Glasnow joked that it was love at first sight, and what followed turned into one of the season’s best storylines.
Two two-time Cy Young winners in the same rotation, the same clubhouse and with the same agent in Scott Boras made Skubal’s transition feel smooth instead of awkward. In 10 starts as a Dodger, he put up a 2.61 ERA and 1.05 WHIP over 62 innings, all while coming off a stretch in which he had missed about six weeks earlier in the year after elbow surgery to remove loose bodies.
Snell has already taken his shot at bringing him back. He told SportsNet LA that he talks to Skubal every day and has already made his pitch, while also saying it’s ultimately “a life decision for him and his family.”
That’s the part that makes this interesting. Free agency is always about the contract, but it’s also about the people around the player.
A teammate who has been through the grind with you can matter in ways that don’t show up on a spreadsheet. A rotation spends eight months together, bouncing from bullpen sessions to film work to long nights in hotels, and having someone with Snell’s resume in your corner can carry real weight.
There’s also a business angle here, even if nobody has said it out loud. Two decorated left-handers in the country’s second-largest media market could create opportunities off the field that go beyond salary alone, from joint endorsements to content that keeps both brands growing. That’s speculation, but it’s part of the bigger picture Skubal’s camp could consider if the Dodgers are sitting across from teams like the Mets or the Cubs.
Los Angeles may not be in position to chase a record-setting total anyway. The Athletic’s Katie Woo reported that the Dodgers are unlikely to match a record-setting total, but could instead go with a shorter deal and a higher AAV, similar to what they did with Kyle Tucker. If that’s the framework, then the softer stuff - the relationship, the fit, the pull of Snell’s recruiting - could be the thing that tips the scale.
It’s a reminder that free agency isn’t always just about the biggest check. Juan Soto’s situation showed how even something as small as where a family sits on game day can matter when the money gets massive. Skubal’s case has that same kind of human element, only with a teammate already making the sales pitch.
With the Dec. 1 deadline to the expiring CBA getting closer, Skubal could sign before then, and this remains one of the most compelling stories of the offseason. The next move belongs to Friedman.
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David Vassegh has said the Dodgers may be willing to explore deals involving players such as Tarik Skubal, Freddy Peralta and Michael King as the uncertainty around the new collective bargaining agreement lingers. If Pena becomes a real target, it would also create another layer to the Dodgers infield plans, since Mookie Betts could be shifted to second base to make the fit work. [Read more 🡒]