Dodgers weigh options to retain left-hander Tarik Skubal amid payroll constraints

Los Angeles acquired left-hander Tarik Skubal from Detroit before the Aug. 3 trade deadline, giving up three prospects for the back-to-back American League Cy Young winner. Skubal posted a 2.61 ERA with 70 strikeouts in 62 innings over 10 regular-season starts for the Dodgers, and recorded a 2.45 ERA in two postseason games.

The Dodgers finished the season with 100 wins, captured the NL West for the fifth consecutive year and earned a first-round bye, but were swept by the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS. With Skubal entering free agency, the club faces a decision on whether to offer a contract that could become the richest ever for a pitcher. The team already carries more than $368 million in cash commitments and over $387 million in competitive-balance-tax obligations for the next season, exceeding the $245.3 million hard-cap proposal discussed by owners.

Andrew Friedman, the president of baseball operations, executed the trade two and a half months before the season ended. The Dodgers have also signed Scott Boras client Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a 12-year, $325 million deal, and retain Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow on their rotation.

Skubal declined to discuss his future, saying > "I’m not going to comment on my future really at all. Today sucks, you know, and that’s kind of where my head’s at."

If the Dodgers are unable to retain Skubal, their rotation would still include Yamamoto, Snell and Glasnow, with additional depth from pitchers such as Justin Wrobleski, Roki Sasaki, Emmet Sheehan and Gavin Stone. The club remains a contender for the 2027 season regardless of the outcome.