Skubal Heads to Free Agency After Dodgers' NLCS Exit — SkimNews
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- Tarik Skubal refused to address his future after the Dodgers' Game 4 NLCS loss on Thursday night, telling MLB.com: "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."
- Skubal, the back-to-back AL Cy Young winner in 2024 and 2025, now heads into this offseason as the top free agent on the market.
- The Detroit Tigers traded Skubal to Los Angeles at the deadline — while just 2½ games out of a playoff spot — in exchange for top prospect Zyhir Hope.
- Skubal owns a 2.13 ERA across eight playoff starts in three straight postseasons, yet has never reached the World Series; this year's NLCS was his deepest run.
- Between Detroit and Los Angeles, Skubal posted a 12-7 record with a 2.72 ERA (155 ERA+), 0.96 WHIP and 186 strikeouts in 158⅔ innings across 26 starts in 2025.
- Skubal underwent a NanoScope procedure on his pitching elbow this season, missing starts between April 29 and June 13 before returning.
- Skubal's expected nine-figure free-agent contract is complicated by the expiring CBA and the ownership side's push for a salary cap, which could delay signing until a new deal is reached or push teams to grandfather his contract under the current agreement.
Why it matters: Skubal, a two-time reigning Cy Young winner entering his prime at 29, would normally command a mid-nine-figure contract in free agency — but the expiring CBA and the ownership side's push for a salary cap inject rare uncertainty into what's supposed to be the offseason's biggest deal. Teams willing to structure or time an offer before a new CBA could secure a generational pitcher at a discount; Skubal's side gains leverage if the bidding war is forced to wait until post-CBA terms are known.
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