Tarik Skubal gave Dodgers fans a reason to pause this week, and it had nothing to do with anything happening on the mound.
In a conversation with the LA Times, Skubal talked at length about what Stan Kroenke’s purchase of the Angels could mean for free agency in Anaheim, and his answer sounded a lot bigger than a simple reaction to a front-office change. Kroenke isn’t expected to be formally approved as the Angels’ new owner until early next year, but Skubal was quick to say the move could matter immediately.
“Absolutely,” he told The Times. “Not only an owner that has obvious financial backing, but an owner that has turned the Rams into what the Rams are.
I think they're the Super Bowl favorite this year. There's an owner that cares about winning.”
He didn’t stop there. Skubal went into the kinds of details that players notice when they’re weighing where to go next, pointing to the kind of investment that reaches beyond the roster itself.
“The impact he brings to the Angels? You bring an owner that really cares about winning and is willing to do whatever it takes to win and invest, not only with players on the field but all the stuff behind the scenes, like clubhouse renovations. I'm sure there will be a lot of stuff there that changes to make it state-of-the-art, because all that stuff matters.”
Taken on its own, that sounds a lot like the checklist of a player who might be thinking about his next contract. Real spending.
A winning reputation. Facilities that feel top-end.
Those are the same ingredients that have helped make the Dodgers such a powerful draw in free agency.
That’s why the quotes landed the way they did for Dodgers fans. Even if Skubal wasn’t talking about himself directly, the language hit close to home.
Still, there’s no need for anyone in Los Angeles to go into full panic mode. Skubal also told The LA Times that he’s focused on helping the Dodgers go after a third straight World Series this year, and that he hasn’t spent much time thinking about his own free agency yet. He also understands that a strong playoff run would only help his market when the time comes.
There’s also the Scott Boras factor. Skubal’s impending free agency already has the kind of spotlight Boras likes, and this felt very much like the sort of public value-setting that comes before the real bidding begins. If that was the point, it was a familiar one: get the conversation started early, let the market breathe, and make sure everyone knows there will be plenty of interest.
For now, though, Skubal is still wearing Dodger blue and still chasing a championship. And that, more than anything, is what matters right now.
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