Scott Boras' phone rang in the middle of his press conference at the MLB GM meetings in Las Vegas on Tuesday. The super agent looked down at the screen for a moment and put his phone on silent.
"Just another owner begging to meet with Skubal," he quipped to reporters.
Even if it was a joke, Boras probably wasn't too far off on that one. As the best arm in free agency by far this winter, Tarik Skubal has no shortage of suitors. The New York Mets, San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays -- and yes, the Los Angeles Dodgers -- have all confirmed appointments to meet with the two-time Cy Young Award winner. He's widely expected to command a record-shattering payday exceeding $325 million, according to Bob Nightengale, that would make him the highest paid pitcher in MLB history.
So where do the Dodgers fit into that picture?
Dodgers projected 2027 rotation
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto
- Blake Snell
- Tyler Glasnow
- Roki Sasaki
- Shohei Ohtani
Skubal seems like a luxury, but Snell and Glasnow both battled injuries that kept them out for an extended period of time in 2026 and ended up creating a need for the trade in the first place. There's also uncertainty as to what Shohei Ohtani's season on the mound will look like next year. Friedman expects the four-time MVP to be ready to go by spring training, but added that he'll need to have an ongoing conversation with Ohtani as the season goes on to better manage his workload and keep him injury-free moving forward. General manager Brandon Gomes told reporters at the GM meetings that they're still trying to figure out that plan, and it may not be in place until they have a clearer picture of what the roster will look like.
“Whatever it is, there’s just a lot of different avenues, and I think for us to unilaterally decide that doesn’t make sense," Gomes said. "So it’s really bringing him into the conversation and figuring out how to navigate a full season.”
Given the amount of unknowns within a rotation that normally gets heavily impacted by injuries year after year, bringing Skubal back to LA should be a top priority.
The Dodgers have given no indication that they'll have any less resources than normal, even in the midst of owner Mark Walter's ongoing federal investigations. Boras expects a deal to get done before the current collective bargaining agreement expires on Dec. 1, after which comes financial uncertainty around the league as owners and the MLBPA square off over a proposed salary cap.
Still, the Dodgers have more than enough room to flex their bank account, but the question remains of how deep into their pockets they'll be willing to go. The Athletic's Katie Woo reported that Friedman and Co. want Skubal back, but on a short-term deal and may be willing to offer a higher AAV to compensate, similar to Tucker's four-year $240 million deal inked last winter. Whether or not Skubal will be willing to take that and leave years on the table remains to be seen.
“It's very clear that there is a dominant and strong 'Sku-bull' market," Boras told reporters. “That's one thing you know it's pretty clear teams are not devoid of pursuing their championship fortunes, and they understand there's only one tarot card, no doubt.
“I think that if you look into the deep waters of talent treasure, teams are there. There's no time to come up for air, and so teams have filled their tanks, and they're all clearly ready for the scuba dive, no doubt."
Tarik Skubal's fit with Dodgers
President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has been aggressive the last few winters in trying to maximize the team's current championship window. Rather than running it back after two consecutive World Series championships in 2024 and '25, he added more firepower by signing Kyle Tucker and Edwin Díaz -- the top two free agents in last year's class -- for a combined $310 million. Underwhelming 2026 campaigns by both, and the team's failed bid for a three-peat, don't appear to give Friedman any more second thoughts when it comes to how he'll go about building next year's roster.
"That's never our mindset, to say, 'Okay, we're good enough," Friedman said at his end of season press conference on Oct. 21. "We're going to work hard to figure out how we can improve in different areas. ... We feel good about our jumping off point of where we are. That being said, to the extent that we can keep raising the bar, raising the talent level and increasing our championship odds, we're going to be aggressive to do so."
That much was on full display when the Dodgers acquired Skubal from the Detroit Tigers at the trade deadline in August for their No. 5 prospect Zyhir Hope, River Ryan and Brady Smith to seemingly put a stacked rotation over the top. Skubal ended up keeping that rotation afloat amid injuries to Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani as he posted a 2.61 ERA with 70 strikeouts and a 1.048 WHIP in 10 starts in LA.
Friedman commended what Skubal was able to do in his short time as a Dodger, acknowledging how hard it is to move cities in the middle of the season. Routines get disrupted, and adjusting to a new clubhouse, a new environment, takes time. The 29-year-old Kingman, Arizona native's transition in LA was seamless. He instantly had the respect of the entire pitching staff and formed close friendships with many of his teammates, Snell in particular. Several players noted that Skubal never once talked about free agency during his time with them.
"I can't say enough good things about the impact that he made in such a short period of time," Friedman said in October.
Now, the ball is in Skubal's court.
Dodgers pitchers already on the move
Right-handed reliever Evan Phillips signed a three-year, $35 million contract with the Atlanta Braves on Thursday, putting an end to his six-year run in LA. In that time, Phillips was one of manager Dave Roberts' most trusted bullpen arms, and for good reason. The 32-year-old has pitched in five of the last six Octobers for the Dodgers, missing only 2025 after undergoing Tommy John surgery that May, and has not allowed an earned run in 17 career postseason outings. He pitched well in 26 innings after returning in July, posting a 1.08 WHIP with a 3.26 ERA and 33 strikeouts.
There's also a robust market for Alex Vesia, another go-to high-leverage guy. The New York Mets, New York Yankees and Miami Marlins are among the teams that are reportedly interested in the 30-year-old's services, along with the Dodgers.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Should the Dodgers re-sign Tarik Skubal? What we know from GM meetings
