Dodgers predicted to win Tarik Skubal sweepstakes with decade-long deal

The Los Angeles Dodgers are the favorites to win the 2026 MLB World Series, and once the offseason begins, they're going to be the favorites to sign all of the top players as well.

But the one prize they're likely to go after more than any other is the starting pitcher they acquired at the deadline this year: Tarik Skubal. He's hitting free agency this offseason and is going to be a hot commodity for a lot of teams around baseball.

Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley is predicting the Dodgers will win the sweepstakes for Skubal, thanks to a likely record-breaking decade-long commitment to the 30-year-old left-hander.

"The New York Mets could and should make this interesting, but the Dodgers could absolutely win another Skubal sweepstakes," Buckley writes. "Prediction: Skubal signs a 10-year deal and stays in L.A."

Re-signing Skubal might prove difficult, as he's easily the best player set to hit the open market this offseason. With a chance to land a massive multi-year deal, Skubal is going to play his cards right this offseason.

The Dodgers are likely the favorites, especially after winning the bidding war for Skubal at the MLB trade deadline when they got him from the Detroit Tigers.

But when it comes to the open market this upcoming offseason, the New York Mets, New York Yankees, and a few of the other big-spenders are sure to show serious interest.

However, none can likely compare to the long-term commitment on top of the massive, likely record-breaking contract that Skubal is going to demand, as the Dodgers can.

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Skubal is going to be 30 years old at the start of the 2027 MLB season, so a 10-year-long commitment would be quite the risky endeavor, especially for a pitcher who just had surgery on his elbow in the middle of the season.

As the Dodgers have shown time and time again, they're not afraid of such a risk. So long as they get the player, they have the financial advantage to make a risky deal worthwhile in the long run.

Skubal, the 2024 and 2025 AL Cy Young winner, is exactly the kind of player worth signing to a record-setting deal that carries significant long-term risks.

While other teams might be trying to do shorter deals, the Dodgers can lock him up to a long-term contract other teams aren't likely to be comfortable handing out.

Buckley is predicting the Dodgers will win the Skubal sweepstakes this offseason thanks to their willingness to go to a long-term deal, with a decade-long commitment being the deal he's predicting Skubal will get from the Dodgers this winter.