MLB insider lays out Dodgers' competition for Tarik Skubal (and it's kind of intimidating)

Tarik Skubal is just days away from officially becoming a free agent, and Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman made it clear where the club stands — as if Dodgers fans had any reason for concern. He said he and club would continue to be in conversation with Skubal and Scott Boras, but the decision would ultimately boil down to what's best for Skubal and his family.

The Dodgers are still the clear frontrunners, but other big spenders aren't just going to back away quietly because the odds don't appear to be in their favor. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com named six suitors including the Dodgers: the Detroit Tigers, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays, and Philadelphia Phillies.

Unsurprisingly, all but the Tigers were top-10 spenders in baseball in 2026, and all either missed the postseason entirely or suffered early exits, which may make them desperate enough to drive the bidding up to exorbitant heights.

Some of these suitors are more realistic than others, based on how much money they have coming off their payrolls and their generally attitude toward big spending, but the bottom line: the Dodgers aren't going to have this easy.

The Dodgers will have company in their hopes of signing Tarik Skubal

We can probably go ahead and count the Tigers out here. Although Skubal made overtures about hoping they would be involved in his free agency, they're simply not equipped to re-sign him, nor do they seem willing to. The Cubs may be in the same boat, though they have a considerable amount of money coming off their books this offseason.

The Mets and Blue Jays are familiar Dodgers foes, but only the Mets can claim a true victory over LA — signing Juan Soto. Could New York and Steve Cohen be so desperate as to offer Skubal a contract of that magnitude (relative to pitchers)? It's plausible.

If there's a dark horse in this race, it might be the Phillies, especially if they actually manage to find teams who are willing to take on Trea Turner after the worst year of his career or Bryce Harper, who's still owed $125.7 million through his age-38 season. They're fighting off the perception that their competitive window has closed, and signing Skubal would get them back in the conversation.

The Dodgers are the incumbents and they're still the team to beat, but nothing is promised.

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