Tarik Skubal landing spots: Predicting new home for two-time Cy Young winner, the offseason’s best free agent

Arguably the best pitcher in baseball is up for grabs this winter. Tarik Skubal is a free agent for the 2026-27 MLB offseason, easily the top available on the market, and every team should be trying to earn his services. But will they? Almost certainly not.

The 29-year-old southpaw spent the first six years of his major-league career with the Detroit Tigers before being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the 2026 deadline. He won back-to-back Cy Young awards in 2024 and 2025 and earned MVP votes in both seasons. He's likely to become the highest-paid pitcher in MLB history both in total value and AAV.

Of course, the giant flashing sign floating above all of this is the expiring CBA, which will run out at 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 1, after which the owners are expected to lock out the players until a new deal is reached. Over the summer, the league proposed limiting free agency contracts, an offer that the players' union quickly disavowed, and the owners' demand for a salary cap is the underlying throughline of every negotiation. Perhaps that means Skubal will rush to sign on the dotted line before new rules are in place.

Original source: https://www.cbssports.com/