5 Tarik Skubal landing spots (Mets?) as free agency begins for Dodgers ace

The Los Angeles Dodgers are officially out of the 2026 MLB playoffs after an NLCS sweep at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers , and that means the clock has started on Tarik Skubal's free agency.

The two-time Cy Young winner was dealt to the Dodgers mid-season and finished with a 2.36 ERA in 10 regular-season games, and with a labor dispute looming, things could get complicated even if he's the biggest name by far on the market. Still, it's worth asking: Where will the soon-to-be 30-year-old ace sign?

Let's dive in with five teams who could be possible landing spots as the bidding begins, in no particular order:

The obvious answer. He re-signs in L.A. for a ton of money -- maybe some of it deferred -- and the Dodgers keep one of the best pitchers in baseball. It wouldn't be that surprising given that they traded for him in the first place.

Now we get into the list of teams that can afford a player like Skubal (but hey, if there's a salary cap! We won't assume anything about that just yet). The Mets and their deep-pocketed owner would be happy to make a splash and secure a front-line starter, something New York needs going into next season.

Cam Schlittler, Max Fried, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon... and Skubal? That would be downright nasty. There might be questions about the Yankees' lineup heading into this offseason, but a signing like that will silence some of the overall questions.

They could use an ace and we've seen Toronto be in the mix for big-name free agents before. This wouldn't be too crazy of a landing spot for Skubal.

Garrett Crochet is awesome, but beyond that, the Red Sox could use some front-line starter help. Does the franchise take out the checkbook here?