The Los Angeles Dodgers traded for Tarik Skubal at the trade deadline, but he's about to be a free agent, and he is due for a massive payday.
Before the last collective bargaining agreement expired, plenty of players signed massive deals, hoping to get locked in before a potential lockout. Former big league general manager Jim Bowden does not think this year will be any different, and he predicts Skubal will sign a record-breaking contract.
Bowden predicted that Skubal would sign for anywhere between $350 and $500 million "depending on length of contract," he wrote in The Athletic. Bowden also predicted that he would become the highest-paid pitcher ever in terms of average annual value.
Whatever Skubal's next contract looks like will be more than deserved. He won back-to-back Cy Young Awards in the American League and is the best left-handed pitcher in baseball.
This season, he had a 2.72 ERA in 26 starts, and had it not been for the Dodgers' offense falling apart down the stretch, he may have been a key part of a three-peat.
There are not many teams that are going to be able to afford what Skubal will make on the open market. The New York Mets, New York Yankees and Dodgers seem like the only real candidates to pay him. He is represented by Scott Boras, so it's safe to assume he won't be taking any discounts.
He will likely sign with the highest bidder, and there are reports that suggest that Los Angeles is his preferred destination.