Mets-Tarik Skubal rumors have already begun before Dodgers' playoff run has even started

The MLB Postseason officially gets underway on Tuesday, but the Los Angeles Dodgers won't take the field until later this weekend thanks to their 100-62 record and a first-round bye. Dodgers' manager Dave Roberts now has plenty of time to set his rotation for the upcoming NLDS matchup; one that will almost certainly feature Tarik Skubal as LA's starter for Game 1 or 2.

But it would seem that the New York Mets already have their sights set on the Dodgers' free agent to-be. Will Sammon of The Athletic claims that Skubal to the Mets makes a lot of sense on paper, but stopped short of calling it no-brainer thanks in large part to the upcoming labor negotiations.

Dodgers & Mets look to be Tarik Skubal's most likely free agent suitors

Sammon cites the potential for a salary cap and the exorbitant salaries already on the Mets books — namely Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor — as the two biggest obstacles that could put a halt to New York's pursuit of Skubal. Those same barriers could force the Dodgers to hit the pause button as well. LA has a ton of hefty, long-term contracts that would impact the club if a salary cap was implemented.

Few, if any, know how the upcoming negotiations between the owners and the Player's Association are going to play out, but the economic impact and how teams could be required to spend in the future could greatly alter who pursues Skubal this winter and how much they'll be willing to offer.

Then there's the other aspect that no one is really talking about — at least not yet. The negotiating window will be extremely short. With the Collective Bargaining Agreement set to expire on December 1, teams will have a little more than three weeks to lay the groundwork for a potential landmark contract with the two-time Cy Young award-winner.

Throw in the fact that he's represented by Scott Boras — baseball's super-agent who's known for extending these negotiations well into the springtime — and the likelihood of striking a deal before the window closes looks less and less by the day. Yet, the potential salary cap, and thereby reduction in salary, could be enough to prompt Boras and Skubal to get a new deal done posthaste.

Much like the Mets, the Dodgers will undoubtedly be interested in re-signing Skubal this winter. Frankly, it may be a two-team race to determine who'll walk away with the offseason biggest prize. Few other organizations have the resources to ink the southpaw to the record-breaking deal he'll surely be seeking. Most pundits expect the deal to be worth more than $400 million.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow