Tarik Skubal is this offseason's top free agent, and he is expected to sign before the potential lockout.
It's unclear what the lockout will do to team spending, but Skubal is set to cash in beforehand. He will sign a record-breaking contract at some point this offseason, and it should be with the Dodgers, for his own good.
Right now, reports suggest the Dodgers and New York Mets are the frontrunners to land the two-time Cy Young Award winner, but there will surely be other offers. However, history suggests that those two teams will give him the best offers.
The Mets will likely try to lure Skubal in with a large total value that will make him one of the richest pitchers to ever play baseball. However, the Dodgers can offer something more than money: a real chance to win the World Series.
The Dodgers have spared no expense in building their team amid this run, and have relied on deals that include tons of deferred money. Even though the Dodgers fell short of a three-peat this year with Skubal on the team, it's hard to look at the roster and think any team will go into the season with a better chance to win it all on paper.
The lineup is full of All-Stars and the rotation, even without Skubal, is the best in baseball. Even though it was the Milwaukee Brewers who won the Fall Classic this year, it's the Dodgers who opened as favorites on sportsbooks to win the 2027 World Series.
Skubal is going to get paid no matter what. Why not sign with the team that will contend for a World Series every year? He won't be asked to carry the Dodgers like he was in Detroit or like he would be in Queens.