The Los Angeles Dodgers may lose one of the pitchers who helped carry them deep into the playoffs this year, as the Chicago White Sox have emerged as a top contender for ace Tarik Skubal in free agency, according to Jim Bowden of The Athletic.
Skubal, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, joined the Dodgers at last July’s trade deadline and delivered immediately, going 5-2 with a 2.61 ERA over 10 starts and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 70-13. The Dodgers fell one series short of reaching the World Series this postseason.
Barring a lockout on Dec. 1, Skubal is considered the top free agent available this offseason. Bowden projects he will land a contract between $350 million and $500 million, with an annual average value rivaling Shohei Ohtani’s $70 million AAV (before deferrals) and Zach Wheeler’s $42 million AAV. That would make Skubal the highest-paid pitcher in MLB history by both AAV and guaranteed money.
The Dodgers have a long history of spending big on top free agents, and keeping Skubal would require another major financial commitment. Dodgers owner Mark Walter told Jack Harris of The California Post in an exclusive interview that he intends to keep handing out top-dollar contracts to free agents.
White Sox rebuild puts them in the mix
Two years after a record-setting 41-121 season, the White Sox spent the time before the 2026 season shedding high-end contracts. Last year, the team surprised the league by finishing second in the American League Central at 84-78, grabbing a wild-card spot and then sweeping the Astros.
Chicago’s front office has already shown it’s willing to spend, signing Munetaka Murakami to a two-year, $34 million deal last year. The team’s pitching staff features a young core led by Sean Burke (3.34 ERA) and Grant Taylor (2.25 ERA), and Bowden believes the White Sox have the financial room to pursue Skubal to anchor that rotation.
