The playoffs are still going, and front offices are already doing math on Tarik Skubal. That is what happens when the best left-handed pitcher in baseball hits the market.
Skubal headlines a free agent class that will reshape several rosters, and the expectation across the industry is that he resets the record for a starting pitcher.
Skubal Is Going To Pass $325 Million
Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s $325 million deal currently stands as the benchmark for a free agent starter. One executive has already said Skubal should top it.
That is not a bold prediction so much as an obvious one. Skubal is a true ace in his prime who was traded to the Dodgers at the deadline, and Los Angeles has never once flinched at a record number when it wanted a player.
The smart money says he re-signs with the Dodgers on a deal approaching ten years. Los Angeles did not acquire him as a rental, and no other franchise can comfortably outbid them.
Brandon Lowe Is The Most Underrated Name Available
Lowe has 66 home runs, 179 RBI and 173 runs across 284 games since the start of 2025. One rival executive described him in terms too colorful to print, which tells you how the league views him.
A three-year deal looks like the landing spot, and the Yankees are the fit that keeps getting mentioned. New York has a clear need for left-handed power and no reason to be patient about filling it.
Freddy Peralta Is The Bargain
Peralta’s 2026 was a tale of two teams. He posted a 4.99 ERA over 22 starts with the Mets, then a 3.25 ERA across 10 starts with the Rays after changing addresses.
Front offices will argue about which version is real. He is also described as one of the best clubhouse presences in baseball, which matters more in negotiations than fans assume. A two-year deal feels right, and San Diego keeps surfacing as a destination.
What I Would Do
If I ran a team without $300 million to spend, I would ignore Skubal entirely and go hard after Lowe. The production is elite, the price is a fraction of the top of the market, and the three-year term means no long-tail risk.
Chasing the biggest name is how mid-market teams waste winters. Skubal will end up exactly where the money is, and everyone else should be shopping one aisle over.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.