Tarik Skubal has become one of the most dominant pitchers in MLB. He is set to earn a ton of money when he becomes a free agent, and Buster Olney thinks there will be three teams competing for him.
Skubal was pitching for the Detroit Tigers on ESPN’s telecast of “Sunday Night Baseball” against the Texas Rangers. Skubal pitched 6.2 innings and allowed just four hits and one run with 11 strikeouts. He took a no-decision even though his Tigers won the game 2-1.
During the game, Olney, who is an MLB reporter for ESPN, said that Skubal is on his way to earning a $400 million contract if he becomes a free agent. Olney also named the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets and New York Yankees as possibilities for him.
“Tarik Skubal is set to land 400 million after the 2026 season. The question is whether it will come from the Yankees, Dodgers or Mets,” Olney was quoted as saying.
$400 million for a pitcher would be a ton of money. Gerrit Cole was given a 9-year, $324 million deal with the Yankees in 2019. He was 29 years old for his first season with the team, while Skubal will be 30 in 2027.
Skubal won the AL Cy Young Award last year after dominating with an 18-4 record, 2.39 ERA and 228 strikeouts. He has gone 10-3 with a 2.19 ERA and 164 strikeouts in 127.2 innings this season, which has him in line to win a second straight Cy Young Award.
The Tigers still hold Skubal’s rights for another year before he would be set to become a free agent. For those wondering whether he might sign a contract extension with the Tigers, his agent is Scott Boras, who typically likes to test the market.
