Tarik Skubal is headed for MLB free agency this offseason, and the Phillies have already been floated as a team worth watching.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com listed potential suitors for the Dodgers left-hander and pegged Philadelphia as a “dark horse” in the chase. Feinsand also made it clear the fit is not a likely one, but he did not shut the door on it either.
“Dave Dombrowski has never been shy about spending in free agency, so the Phillies are at least a dark horse candidate to make a play for Skubal,” Feinsand wrote.
Skubal’s path to free agency has been a busy one. The Dodgers landed him before the trade deadline in August, and he made a real impact for them down the stretch before Los Angeles fell to the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series. Philadelphia’s season also ended sooner than hoped, with the Phillies knocked out by the Atlanta Braves in the NL Wild Card Series.
The lefty is carrying plenty of hardware into the market. Skubal won back-to-back Cy Young Awards in 2024 and 2025, and even though he missed time in 2026 and was dealt from Detroit to LA, he still put together a strong season. Across 26 total outings, he posted a 2.72 ERA and struck out 186 hitters.
That kind of production puts him among the elite arms in the sport, and he would give any pitching staff a major lift. For now, the Phillies are still viewed as a long shot. But as Feinsand’s reporting suggests, they’re not being counted out completely.
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