Tarik Skubal’s words about the Angels’ incoming ownership were the kind that can make a fan base do a quick double take.
In a conversation with the LA Times, the Dodgers star talked at length about what Stan Kroenke’s purchase of the Angels could mean for free agency in Anaheim. Kroenke is not expected to be formally approved as the Angels’ new owner until early next year, but Skubal was blunt when asked whether the move immediately changes how players might view the club.
“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 expanded on that point by getting into the kind of details players notice when they’re choosing where to sign. “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.”
Read in a vacuum, those comments sound a lot like a checklist for a team trying to lure elite talent. Strong financial backing.
A reputation for winning. Investment in the daily environment players see and use.
That’s the same formula that has helped the Dodgers become one of baseball’s most powerful free-agent destinations.
So it’s easy to see why Dodgers fans might have felt a little uneasy hearing Skubal describe the very traits that have long separated Los Angeles from the rest of the market as the same traits that could help a rival across town.
Still, there’s a bigger piece to this. Skubal also told The LA Times that he’s focused on helping the Dodgers push for a third straight World Series title this season, and that he hasn’t spent much time thinking about his own free agency yet. He also knows that a strong playoff run would only improve his market when that time comes.
There’s also the Scott Boras factor. It wouldn’t be surprising if Skubal’s agent has a hand in the way this conversation is playing out. Boras has long been known for getting a client’s name into the market early and in a way that creates buzz, competition, and leverage before negotiations ever get serious.
That may be all this was: a little early value-setting, a little groundwork for later. For Dodgers fans, the quotes are still enough to raise an eyebrow. But for now, Skubal is in Dodger blue and chasing a championship, and that’s the version of him that matters most at the moment.
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