As free agency begins, ESPN insiders revealed the timeline for Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal to sign.
Skubal is not only the Dodgers’ biggest free agent but also the biggest domino in the market, and as in the past, his landmark deal will likely unlock the floodgates for MLB transactions.
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As the offseason really kicks into gear, ESPN’s MLB reporters all chimed in for an intel report on the biggest storylines of the next month before the lockout.
Top MLB insider Jeff Passan reports that Skubal is expected to sign before the December 1st lockout, giving the Dodgers and the rest of the league a month to make their best offers.
“Skubal is far and away the best player in this class, and the expectation is he will sign before the Dec. 1 lockout. The two most obvious suitors are the two teams with the highest payrolls in baseball: The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets,” Passan wrote.
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“There are bound to be others. The Chicago Cubs badly want Skubal. They also are skeptical that they will be willing to compete at the sort of dollars Skubal is expected to get — well, in excess of $300 million, potentially in the $400 million-plus range.”
On paper, the Dodgers have the money to match any offer for Skubal, given their revenue and their tendency to splash cash when they feel it is appropriate.
Skubal, being a high-caliber difference-maker, has the markings of a player that the Dodgers would do a lot to keep.
However, as team owner Mark Walter continues to sell off pieces of his sports portfolio, and news broke today that he is looking to sell Cadillac F1, questions about how his monetary needs will affect the Dodgers continue to grow.
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If Walter needs money urgently, spending big on Skubal may be the last thing he wants to do.
Walter has publicly maintained that the team will not slow down spending-wise, and if the negative speculation is just that, speculation, then Skubal’s timeline is moot, and the team will be in the race until the bitter end.
