The Toronto Blue Jays are back in the starting pitching market, and Tarik Skubal sits at the center of it.
After last winter’s splashy move for Dylan Cease - a six-year, $210 million contract - Toronto is again being linked to one of the biggest arms available. Skubal is the prize, but the Blue Jays may already be lining up alternatives in case they come up short.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported that Toronto would turn to Michael King, Trevor Rogers, Sonny Gray and Tyler Mahle if the Skubal chase doesn’t land.
“The Toronto Blue Jays, who signed Dylan Cease to a six-year, $210 million contract last winter, are poised to be in the running for Skubal, and if they don't land him, will pivot to the likes of Michael King, Trevor Rogers and Sonny Gray and Tyler Mahle,” Nightengale writes.
That kind of interest makes sense given Toronto’s payroll and its need to keep adding to the rotation. Skubal would not come cheap, either. The report says he could command a deal north of $325 million total over a long period of time, which gives the Blue Jays a very expensive decision to make.
If Toronto moves on from Skubal, Michael King looks like the cleanest fit on paper. The former San Diego Padres right-hander stands out as a natural target for a club trying to reinforce the rotation.
Trevor Rogers and Tyler Mahle are also on the list, though neither is a young arm. Even so, they would offer more long-term appeal than Sonny Gray, who is expected to be in line for a one- to two-year deal this offseason.
Nightengale also said the Blue Jays could be open to a reunion with Kevin Gausman and/or Max Scherzer. Still, those names sound more like fallback possibilities than the first choice as Toronto tries to get better.
For now, the message is simple: the Blue Jays are shopping for another starter, and Skubal is the headliner. If that pursuit falls through, Toronto already has a short list ready.
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