Ace left-hander Tarik Skubal watched his Dodgers get blown out in the NLCS from the dugout in Game 4 Thursday night. Now Skubal’s next step is free agency this offseason. He’ll be the best free agent on the market and have an absurd amount of money available before signing on the dotted line.
Unsurprisingly, Skubal didn’t have much to say on the subject after Game 4.
“I’m not really going to comment on my future,” he said, via MLB.com. “Today sucks, you know, and that’s kind of where I’m thinking.”
Skubal is heading to free agency after making the playoffs for three straight years and posting a 2.13 ERA in eight postseason starts, but his teams failed to make the World Series. In fact, the trip to the NLCS this year with the Dodgers was the deepest he’s ever made in the postseason. The Tigers made the ALDS in 2024 and 2025 before being eliminated.
Skubal, 29, won the American League Cy Young in 2024 and 2025. This season, he suffered a pitching elbow injury that required surgery, a new procedure called NanoScope surgery. He healed remarkably quickly, only missing starts between April 29 and June 13.
Nine starts later and the Tigers — even though they were just 2 1/2 games out of a playoff spot — decided to take a lead before missing the playoffs and losing Skubal to free agency. They traded him to the Dodgers at the deadline for a package that included top prospect Zyhir Hope.
Between the two teams this season, Skubal made 26 starts and went 12-7 with a 2.72 ERA (155 ERA+), 0.96 WHIP and 186 strikeouts in 158 ⅔ innings. His 4.6 WAR was down from 6.7 and 6.4 respectively the previous two seasons, but he made five fewer starts.
Normally, a pitcher like Skubal in free agency would mean an offer in the mid-nine-figure range, but there’s uncertainty this time around with the CBA expiring and owners scrambling to hit a salary cap. It’s possible that Skubal’s contract will have to wait until an agreement is reached between the two sides and teams know what they have to work with financially. Conversely, a team could be incredibly aggressive in trying to get their deal grandfathered under the previous collective bargaining agreement. Time will tell.
For now, Skubal and the rest of the Dodgers are heading home for the winter.
Gn sports
