Tarik Skubal will return to the Dodgers on one condition

The main topic in the baseball world for the rest of November will certainly be where this year's top free agent, Tarik Skubal, will end up and how much he'll sign for.

In fact, the 29-year-old's next contract is expected to shatter the glass ceiling set by Yoshinobu Yamamoto—a $325 million deal—by a wide margin. There's talk of a contract worth between $350 million and $500 million spread over seven to ten years.

But where? That is the question.

Of course, the Los Angeles Dodgers have a real chance of retaining the services of the two-time Cy Young Award winner, having made a major push at the last trade deadline.

And even though they won't be the only ones—far from it—and a bidding war is expected in the coming weeks, the California team may have more financial flexibility than other Major League Baseball teams, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

The key factor is the overall picture. While a few teams are in the same salary range, I think the teams in the West would have the advantage since Skubal lives here. I think that if the Dodgers are in the running, he'll return to Los Angeles.

As we know, the Dodgers have the resources to stay in the race until the very end and win the grand prize. True to form, they'll shout from the rooftops that they aren't really in the running and will end up landing the biggest fish in the ocean.

“The bid for Tarik Skubal has to start over Yoshinobu Yamamoto's record-breaking $325M contract, says @BNightengale.

‘I would think that if the Dodgers are close, he goes back to LA.' pic.twitter.com/UeQg3YkNgt

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) November 4, 2026

Steve Cohen and the New York Mets will therefore have their work cut out for them to convince the player they want at all costs that they are a better option than the 2024 and 2025 World Series champions.

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