As the two-time defending World Series champions, the Dodgers were already considered heavyweights Before they acquired the left-handed superstar Tarik Skubal of the Tigers before the August 3 trade deadline. Although Skubal was unsigned this season, the Dodgers parted ways with three prospects for the back-to-back American League Cy Young winner in hopes that he would make them borderline unbeatable in the postseason.
With Skubal by their side, the Dodgers finished with 100 wins, won the NL West for the fifth straight year and clinched a first-round bye in the postseason. Skubal helped the Dodgers eliminate the Braves in the NLDS, but their season and attempt to become the first National League team to win three consecutive World Series fell apart in the NLCS.
The small-market Brewers, whose payroll is nearly $200 million less than the deep-pocketed Dodgers, dominated LA 21-11 en route to a four-game sweep. It wasn’t necessarily surprising that the Brewers won the Series, since they entered the postseason after a major league-best 103-win campaign. In a pre-series poll, 59% of MLBTR readers chose the Brew Crew to win. However, it was a shock that a Dodgers team with a star-studded lineup and rotation (Skubal, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell And Tyler Glasnow) did not put up a better fight.
The Dodgers’ offseason began much earlier than expected when president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman executed the Skubal trade two and a half months ago. Their biggest question now is whether they will re-sign Skubal, soon to be 30, a client of Scott Boras who appears poised to land the richest contract ever for a pitcher. That honor currently belongs to Yamamoto, who the Dodgers signed out of Japan for 12 years and $325 million in December 2023.
The Dodgers, who haven’t shown much hesitation in handing out huge contracts in recent years, can’t be disappointed with power pitcher Skubal’s performance down the stretch. In 10 regular season starts as a Dodger, he had a 2.61 ERA with 70 strikeouts and 13 walks in 62 innings. Skubal was also very effective in two postseason outings, a Game 1 win against the Braves and a Game 1 loss against the Brewers. He recorded a 2.45 ERA with 14 strikeouts against four walks during that 11-inning span.
Although Skubal has clearly adapted well to Los Angeles’ high-pressure environment, he was unwilling to discuss his long-term prospects Thursday night, saying (link via Sonja Chen of MLB.com): “I’m not really going to comment on my future. Today sucks, you know, and that’s kind of where I’m thinking.
Skubal would have taken the ball for Game 5 of the NLCS if the Dodgers had forced him, but his time in their uniform may now be up. The impending lockout, which begins December 1, plays a key role in its uncertain future. If the owners somehow convince the players to agree to a salary cap in the next collective bargaining agreement, or if harsher penalties are implemented for teams that pay the competitive balance tax, that would apparently diminish the Dodgers’ chances of keeping him. As shown by MLBTR’s Payroll Tracker (via contributor Ethan Hullihen), the Dodgers already have over $368 million in cash commitments and over $387 million in CBT commitments for next year. Those numbers are significantly higher than the $245.3 million cap the owners proposed in May.
If the Dodgers are unwilling or unable to retain Skubal, their rotation would still be in better shape than most teams. Yamamoto, Snell and Glasnow will be back. Shohei Ohtani struggled through an injury-plagued second half and was never healthy enough to pitch in the same rotation as Skubal, but he has no plans to give up his two-way role. Justin Wrobleski, Roki Sasaki, Emmet Sheehan And Pierre Gavin (who missed the last two seasons with shoulder issues) are among the other internal rotation possibilities for next year. Those four pale in comparison to Skubal (most pitchers do), but the mega-talented club should be on the 2027 shortlist of championship favorites even if he leaves. Do you think he will?
Will Tarik Skubal re-sign with the Dodgers?
Photos courtesy of Jayne Kamin-Oncea and Katie Stratman, Imagn Images
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