Jon Heyman names worst possible dark horse suitor as Dodgers prepare to pounce on Tarik Skubal

It's still unlikely that the Los Angeles Dodgers have a path available for them to trade for Tarik Skubal this season, but most insiders believe they remain the overwhelming favorites to sign Skubal this offseason. The incumbent Detroit Tigers and New York Mets remain in that conversation, but a new party may have entered the mix.

Fresh off reports that a group led by José E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones is nearing a deal to purchase the San Diego Padres, Jon Heyman is already doing the thing that most do when a new owner is about to take control of a franchise.

The MLB insider speculated that Feliciano is expected to keep up the spending ways the Padres have demonstrated over the past decade. For that reason, Heyman suggests that the Padres could be a suitor for Skubal once he hits free agency next winter.

Latest Tarik Skubal rumor is classic new owner propaganda

As much as Dodgers fans may hate to admit it, the Padres are always the wild-card when it comes to a big-ticket free agent. Even during times when it seems that San Diego has run out of money, they typically leave room for a surprise or two.

That being said, over the past year, much has been made of the Padres' dire payroll situation. And, strangely, they weren't really rumored to be potential suitors for any of the top free agents this past offseason. Along those lines, yes, the arrival of the new ownership group should silence the spending fears that have taken over the Padres.

But, if we're being honest, the speculation from Heyman is the lazy thing that happens every time there is a new owner in baseball. Just last offseason, the Tampa Bay Rays having a new owner led some to speculate that they could be a surprise suitor for Kyle Tucker. It's the honeymoon stage of a new owner. The team is going to be surrounded by good press, even if it's not rooted in much logic.

Unlike the Rays and Tucker, there are baseball reasons why the Padres make sense for Skubal. That being said, the report from Heyman is merely speculation at this point, not a defined reason to expect that Skubal will sign with a team other than the Dodgers, Mets, or Tigers next offseason.

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