The Los Angeles Dodgers’ postseason exit on Oct. 15 abruptly ended what Tarik Skubal had expected to be a chance to help preserve the club’s bid for a three-peat. The two-time defending American League Cy Young Award winner, acquired at the trade deadline from the Detroit Tigers, had been penciled in for Game 5 of the National League Championship Series but never got the opportunity when the Milwaukee Brewers completed a sweep at 10:59 p.m. ET.
Skubal described his short time in Los Angeles in the past tense after the loss, praising the clubhouse and the organization’s culture and saying he was “honored to be part of it.” He also lauded the Dodgers’ resources — from a players-only plane to a two-seater hyperbaric chamber and even Japanese toilets — and cited a quick bond with fellow left-hander Blake Snell and proximity to Dr. Neal ElAttrache, the surgeon who performed a pivotal elbow procedure for him.
The Brewers’ World Series victory over the Tampa Bay Rays officially began Skubal’s free agency, the report said, starting with an exclusive five-day negotiating window for the Dodgers. That window is not expected to yield a deal because Skubal is represented by Scott Boras and is set to lead a notably thin free-agent pitching class, per the story, with his camp anticipated to test the open market once every team can submit offers.
When asked about his free agency after the elimination, Skubal kept his remarks brief, saying, “Today sucks.” He also expressed that he felt he fit in well with teammates who share his goal of winning a World Series.
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Oct. 21 the front office was still finalizing its offseason strategy and declined to discuss pursuing Skubal. The organization enters the winter with considerable depth on the mound for 2027 — including Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow under contract and several young pitchers appearing Major League-ready — but the club’s recent history of both signing and allowing high-profile additions to leave will factor into any decision about re-signing Skubal.
