ATLANTA — Two starting pitchers and two managers stood on the stage for a group photo on the eve of the 2025 MLB All-Star Game:Detroit Tigersleft-handerTarik Skubal,New York YankeesmanagerAaron Boone,Los Angeles DodgersmanagerDave RobertsandPittsburgh Piratesright-handerPaul Skenes. After the photo, Skubal and Roberts embraced before walking off the stage alongside Skenes and Boone. Skubal is set to become a free agent after the 2026 season. Could the Dodgers be Skubal's new team in 2027? MORE ABOUT THIS:Could Tigers ace Tarik Skubal become first $400 million pitcher in MLB history? Skubal has praised the Dodgers before,when he was asked about the free-agent market in February 2025: "You see with the Dodgers, right? A lot of guys want to go play there because they have a great organization, and they know they're going to win, and they're going to have a ton of success, and they're paid pretty well to go there and play. Those are big goals as a player. You want to win, and then you want to get paid for your services. That's the goal in baseball." At $321 million, the Dodgers hadthe second-highest payroll on 2025 Opening Dayamong the 30 MLB teams, trailing only theNew York Mets. The Tigers ranked 17th in MLB at $143 million. Meanwhile, the Dodgers have reached the postseason for 12 seasons in a row, advancing to the World Series four times with championships in 2020 and 2024. The current roster features at least four future Hall of Fame players:Mookie Betts,Freddie Freeman,Clayton KershawandShohei Ohtani. Additionally, the Dodgers have their spring training complex in Phoenix, where Skubal and his family call home in the offseason. Dodgers catcherWill Smithis signed through the 2033 season. He wants to work with Skubal. "As the catcher, you want to catch all the best names," Smith said Monday, July 14, one day before the All-Star Game. "As the Dodgers, we want to win the World Series, and that means getting the best players each and every year." Skubal — the reigning American League Cy Young winner represented by agentScott Boras— is a candidate to becomethe first pitcher in MLB history to receive a $400 million contract, as long as he stays healthy and maintains elite performance. He previously rejecteda short-term contract extensionfrom the Tigers. Skubal owns a 2.43 ERA across nearly 400 innings since July 4, 2023, ranking No. 1 among qualified MLB pitchers during that stretch. The 28-year-old registered a 2.80 ERA in 15 starts in 2023 and a 2.39 ERA in 31 starts in 2024, followed by a 2.23 ERA with 16 walks and 153 strikeouts over 121 innings in 19 starts in 2025. Looking ahead, Skubal is trending toward surpassing the pitching contract record set byYoshinobu Yamamotowhen he signed with the Dodgers for $325 million in December 2023 — just $1 million more thanGerrit Cole, who signed with the Yankees for $324 million in December 2019. "After 2026, I don't know what we're going to do," said Smith, an All-Star in three consecutive seasons as part of his seven-year MLB career. "That's up to the front office. But it's going to be a high price tag for him." There are reasons to believe the Dodgers, Mets, Yankees, Los Angeles Angels, Toronto Blue Jays, San Diego Padres and Boston Red Sox, among others, will pursue Skubal when he enters free agency in early November 2026, with team owners getting involved if there's a bidding war. WHAT SKUBAL WANTS:Tigers ace Tarik Skubal reveals contract number he'd happily re-sign for In the 2024-25 offseason, a pair of left-handed pitchers set the market for Skubal's future contract:Max Friedsigned for eight years, $218 million with the Yankees, the largest total value for a lefty pitcher;Blake Snellsigned for five years, $182 million with the Dodgers, the largest average annual value for a southpaw. Skubal will almost certainly shatter those records in the 2026-27 offseason, possibly by signinga 10-year, $400 million contract. Fried offered advice to Skubal about free agency. "I guess I would say just keep your head down," Fried said Monday at the All-Star Game festivities. "You got to stay in the moment. Looking too far ahead is not something that I really like to do. It will all work out in the end if you just keep your head down and be the pitcher that you are. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press:Tarik Skubal rumors: Ace to Dodgers? Star already started recruiting
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