When it comes to high free brokers, the Dodgers not often tip their hand.
At the outset of Tarik Skubal’s free company this offseason, that remained the case once again.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal throws against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning of a baseball recreation in San Francisco, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. AP Photo/Jeff Chiu
During an end-of-season press convention on Wednesday, less than a week eliminated from the workforce’s sweep at the palms of the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman rigorously sidestepped a query about Skubal, saying a lot of phrases that provided no substantive indication of the membership’s urgency stage to doubtlessly re-sign him.
Friedman began by praising the two-time Cy Young Award-winning left-hander, whom the Dodgers acquired in a blockbuster commerce deadline deal with the Detroit Tigers in August.
“It’s not easy for a guy to get traded in the middle of a season to come to a new city, new clubhouse,” Friedman said. “You have set routines, and you have to make those adjustments.”
The longtime high govt then complimented the method Skubal acclimated to his new environment, and the impression he made even in a yr the Dodgers fell brief of a World Series three-peat.
“The way he was able to seamlessly transition, not just in terms of on the field, but in the clubhouse, I can’t say enough good things about the impact that he made in such a short period of time,” Friedman said. “We have a tremendous amount of respect for him on and off the field.”
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026, in Los Angeles. Wally Skalij for CA Post
What Friedman didn’t do, however, was say that the Dodgers would be all-in on Skubal this winter, or that they would do whatever it takes to lock him up in a free company course of that is expected to finish with the soon-to-be 30-year-old breaking Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s document assure of $325 million for a pitcher.
That wasn’t surprising, of course.
Even in the run-up to this yr’s deadline, the Dodgers publicly downplayed how aggressive they would be for the famous person ace.
Still, by enjoying it coy Wednesday, Friedman allowed a vacuum of hypothesis to develop about precisely where the Dodgers will stand in the Skubal sweepstakes.
“He’s put himself in this position to go out and be a free agent,” Friedman said, acknowledging only that the membership will have conversations with Skubal’s agent, Scott Boras, going into the winter. “He and his family have to make a choice over where they want to spend the next X number of years, and obviously we wish him nothing but the best.”
Granted, it’s still extraordinarily early in the offseason. And as the Dodgers have proven the last couple winters, they can never be counted out for a high free-agent goal (bear in mind when they were supposedly not going to break the financial institution for Kyle Tucker?).
At this level, however, there have been questions from some corners of the trade about the Dodgers’ willingness to give Skubal the prolonged, profitable contract he will be looking for.
Los Angeles Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten, left, chats with president of baseball operations Andrew Freeman before a recreation against the St. Louis Cardinals, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026, in Los Angeles. Wally Skalij for CA Post
The workforce already has ample future monetary commitments tied up to Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and others. Even with out Skubal, they will have one of the majors’ greatest rotations next yr, assuming Justin Wrobleski and Roki Sasaki proceed to develop, and Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow can keep away from the damage issues that have plagued them the previous few years.
Much could rely on the league’s looming CBA negotiations, which might end result in a wage cap –– or some other drastic adjustments to the sport’s financial construction –– following a lockout all but certain to start on Dec. 1.
It’s unclear if Skubal will attempt to signal a new contract before then; with the Mets, Cubs, Angels and Yankees all seen as potential suitors, among others.
It’s also unclear how the Dodgers’ strategy to long-term payroll might change relying on what the new CBA entails.
That’s why, for now, the membership will stay the final wild card in his free-agency course of.
They have the assets to swing a record-breaking deal if they need. They have a monitor document of getting aggressive for gamers they really feel swing their World Series probabilities. But if they are planning an all-out press to re-sign Skubal, they aren’t tipping their hand yet.
“We’re still wrapping our arms around our off-season plan and strategy and timing of things,” Friedman said.
His playing cards, once again, were staying glued to his chest.
Source hyperlink
