The Chicago Cubs are in desperate need of starting pitching, but they may not go all in on Tarik Skubal.
Skubal is the best free agent available this offseason, and he would be a great addition to the Cubs' staff. However, he will be extremely expensive, and according to The Athletic's Sahadev Sharma, the Cubs are "unlikely to enter the bidding war" for him.
"The 29-year-old Skubal would be a good fit for any team; that much is clear," wrote Sharma. "But for the Cubs, that’s where the match ends, team sources indicated. Chicago was aggressive in adding third baseman Alex Bregman to a five-year, $175-million deal last winter, but has shied away from the very top of the market in recent offseasons. Toppling a market that’s expected to include the biggest spenders in the game for Skubal won’t be in the cards."
The Cubs need more than one starting pitcher, and spending big on Skubal could limit how many starting pitchers they can actually bring in.
"Though the Cubs are expected to stay on the sidelines during (the Skubal) frenzy, they will at least check in on every other free-agent pitcher," wrote Sharma.
The Cubs may be better suited to go after two arms like Freddy Peralta and Michael King as opposed to going all in on Skubal. Especially when they may risk missing out on other arms while they pursue him. Even if the Cubs go hard after Skubal, there's no guarantee he chooses them over Los Angeles, New York or other contenders.