Tarik Skubal is officially a free agent for the first time in his seven-year MLB career.
Skubal is predicted to sign a deal that will make him the highest-paid pitcher in baseball, but it begs the question of what the figure will look like and for how many years.
ESPN MLB insider Buster Olney appeared on “Baseball Tonight” on Tuesday and said he’s heard from “multiple agents” that Skubal’s future contract could be more similar to Kyle Tucker’s instead of Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s — both of whom are on the Dodgers.
“I had one agent predict to me that they are gonna kind of do. … It’s going to be more Kyle Tucker-type structure, like six times 60,” Olney said. “Which would set a record by far.”
A year ago, the Dodgers were the kings of the offseason when they signed Edwin Diaz and Tucker to contracts that pay them high annual figures.
Tucker signed a four-year, $240 million deal with the Dodgers. The Dodgers adjusted his contract and paid him $33 million last season and will have him making $81 million this season.
The current record contract for a pitcher who isn’t Shohei Ohtani (two-way player) in baseball belongs to Zack Wheeler, who signed a three-year, $126 million contract with the Phillies before the 2025 season — paying him an annual salary of $42 million.
Skubal is the crown jewel of the offseason this year, and the Dodgers know it.
After they acquired him during the trade deadline this season, the Dodgers saw firsthand how good Skubal is. He made 10 starts for LA and finished with a 5-2 record, 2.61 ERA and 70 strikeouts.
Last week, Jack Harris of the California Post had an exclusive with Dodgers owner Mark Walter and was told the team is committed to doing everything it can to continue winning for at least the next 10 years.
On Monday, Olney’s ESPN colleague, Jeff Passan, reported that the Dodgers and Mets are viewed as the main teams interested in acquiring the left-handed pitcher, but he also noted the Padres and Cubs as other teams that have an interest in signing him.
Passan also added that Skubal is looking to sign before the MLB enters a looming lockout that is scheduled to start Dec. 1 unless a deal is reached.
