Baseball's top free agent apparently won't wait for a new collective bargaining agreement before signing his next contract.
Two-time AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal is expected to sign before the looming lockout begins Dec. 2, when the current CBA expires, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.
Skubal's former team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the New York Mets - owners of the two highest payrolls in MLB - will be suitors for the left-hander, Passan adds.
The Chicago Cubs also "badly want Skubal," according to Passan. However, the team is reportedly wary about competing with the highest bidders based on Skubal's expected price tag.
The 29-year-old will likely surpass the $325-million deal that Yoshinobu Yamamoto signed with the Dodgers in December 2023. Yamamoto owns the record for term and total money for an MLB pitcher.
Skubal posted a 2.72 ERA with 0.96 WHIP and 10.6 K/9 over 158 2/3 innings (26 starts) between the Dodgers and Detroit Tigers in 2026.
