Dodgers actually face major disadvantage with Cubs and Yankees entering Tarik Skubal

The single greatest task in front of the Los Angeles Dodgers this offseason is finding a way to bring Tarik Skubal back into the fold. While there are other alternatives that the Dodgers could pursue if Skubal were to take his talents elsewhere, they all fall well short of the talent that the two-time Cy Young winner brings to the table.

Los Angeles is fighting to keep its dynasty alive after falling in the NLCS to the eventual World Series champions, the Milwaukee Brewers, which makes bringing Skubal back an even greater priority.

However, they'll be far from the only team chasing the superstar left-hander. There's the big-spending New York Mets, who are expected to get into the bidding, but given the dumpster fire their 2026 campaign was, they don't have much to offer Skubal other than money.

With that said, both the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs have entered the chat, and they present a few unique challenges that can make life difficult for the Dodgers in their pursuit of a reunion.

The Yankees and Cubs might put Tarik Skubal out of reach for the Dodgers

First, there's the money aspect of it all. Recently, the Dodgers have shown a preference for short-term, high-AAV contracts, like the deal they gave Kyle Tucker. With so much deferred money already kicked down the road, there is a limit to how much more Los Angeles can add to future years' books, and things become even more complicated if the club were to hand out another record-setting contract that lasts for a decade or more.

There's a belief that Skubal's market could heat up to the point where a 10-plus-year contract is in the cards, and the total value could top $400 million or more. That becomes even more likely with the Yankees and Cubs entering the bidding.

The Yankees just got a $2.6 billion influx thanks to a deal with private equity firm Apollo Global Management. On top of that, their books are about to open up, with Giancarlo Stanton and Ryan McMahon entering the final year of their deals, freeing up $31 million from just those two players beginning in 2028.

New York has an additional motivation, too. Just as the Dodgers were humiliated by their NLCS exit, the Yankees were embarrassed by the way they were dispatched by the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS, adding to their growing title drought. Signing Skubal allows them to form a super rotation, which then opens the door for them to trade from their considerable starting pitching depth in search of other upgrades that the free-agent market may not have adequate answers to.

As for the Cubs, they have the greatest need for an ace of any of the three clubs. While the Dodgers have Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the Yankees have Cam Schlittler, Chicago's ace is currently... Justin Steele? It's either Steele atop the rotation, who hasn't pitched in a big league game since April 7, 2025, or it's the oft-injured Edward Cabrera, who occupies the ace role. The desperation is real.

With a handful of players like Matthew Boyd and Carson Kelly declining 2028 options, the Cubs have opened up a ton of payroll that they can play with. Last year's roster had an adjusted payroll of $249.2 million per Spotrac. Right now, that 2027 number is sitting at $152.1 million, and even when accounting for arbitration raises and possible extensions for their current crop of players, that's a ton of breathing room.

The Cubs can also offer Skubal something the Dodgers and Yankees can't — the chance to be the centerpiece. The deep rotations in Los Angeles and New York make Skubal just another ace, while on Chicago's North Side, he'd be the guy. Knowing the competitor that he is, this could hold some appeal.

So while you can never count the Dodgers out when it comes to landing the big fish, we can't treat this like a formality. Skubal's a generational talent, and as a result, teams are going to come out of the woodwork to sign him. Some of those teams, like the Yankees and Cubs, might even have an advantage in the bidding.

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