The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired Tarik Skubal at the trade deadline last season, but now he is a free agent and will have no shortage of suitors.
According to The Associated Press's Ronald Blum, Skubal is set to meet with six teams, including the Dodgers. However, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan, "Skubal has no interest in a shorter-term, higher-dollar deal."
The fact that Skubal wants a long-term deal could really disadvantage the Dodgers, as The Athletic's Katie Woo reports that a short-term deal is exactly what the Dodgers are interested in.
"Given Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow’s injury history, the uncertainty over how Shohei Ohtani will be used as a pitcher next year, and the Dodgers’ intentions of returning to the World Series in 2027, bringing Skubal back seems like a no-brainer," wrote Woo. "But according to several team sources, the Dodgers’ interest in a return hinges on Skubal accepting a shorter offer than he’ll likely receive from other bidders."
In summary, Skubal wants a long-term deal, and plenty of teams will be willing to give him one. However, the Dodgers don't want to offer him a lucrative long-term deal.
The Dodgers know that Skubal is a great pitcher, and he will surely thrive wherever he goes. However, the Dodgers don't really need him. They do have Snell, Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani still. That's four pitchers who may be aces on most staffs in baseball.
Additionally, they seem to like their pitching depth. Justin Wrobleski was an All-Star last season, but seemingly ran out of gas. The Dodgers could do a better job building him up and managing his workload next season, and he could be even better.