Dodgers and Mets Plan Meetings with Free-Agent Pitcher Tarik Skubal
The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets are set to meet with pitcher Tarik Skubal as he seeks a contract before the MLB lockout begins on Dec. 2.
Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes confirmed that the club has been in contact with free-agent pitcher Tarik Skubal and expects to hold a meeting with him in the near future. The Dodgers’ interest follows Skubal’s recent trade to the team from the Detroit Tigers, where he posted a 2.61 ERA in ten regular-season starts and a 2.45 ERA in two postseason games.
Skubal, a two-time American League Cy Young Award winner, is reportedly aiming to secure a long-term contract before the MLB lockout scheduled for Dec. 2. MLB Trade Rumors projected a nine-year deal worth $425 million, a figure substantially higher than projections for other free agents.
The Dodgers’ rotation already includes Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell, and the organization has indicated that its primary need may lie in the bullpen after the departures of Alex Vesia, Evan Phillips, Kris Bubic and Blake Treinen in free agency. While the team has historically favored shorter contracts, a deal of Skubal’s projected length would be atypical for Los Angeles.
The New York Mets, whose president of baseball operations David Stearns has not signed a free-agent pitcher to a contract longer than three years, are also arranging discussions with Skubal. Other clubs, including the San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, have been mentioned as potential suitors.
MLB Trade Rumors’ payroll tracker projects the Dodgers’ combined payroll and luxury-tax calculations at $369 million for the upcoming season, with a competitive-balance-tax figure of $388 million. Owner Mark Walter has faced financial pressures, but club officials have stated that the organization’s spending plans remain unchanged.