Tarik Skubal may have tipped his hand about future plans while celebrating the Los Angeles Dodgers' division title. The Dodgers clinched their 13th National League West crown in the last 14 years with Thursday's 8-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds. They broke out champagne in the clubhouse after the game to commemorate the achievement.
Skubal made an interesting comment during the festivities. "The group here is great. It's a ton of fun to celebrate these moments with these guys," Skubal told SportsNet LA.
It's gonna be the first of many." Perhaps Skubal was looking ahead to more celebrations if the Dodgers keep advancing this postseason and win their third straight World Series. But observers may wonder if the pending free agent indicated that he wants to stay put. The Detroit Tigers sent Skubal to the Dodgers for River Ryan, Brady Smith, and Zyhir Hope before August's trade deadline.
The two-time Cy Young Award winner bolsters an already strong rotation featuring Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, and Tyler Glasnow. Before the trade, Skubal missed over a month after having loose bodies removed from his elbow. The lefty should still maintain immense market value as one of the game's premier aces, boasting a 2.70 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in 24 starts this season.
ESPN's Jeff Passan recently speculated that Skubal, who turns 30 in November, could land double the $245 million that Stephen Strasburg received in 2019 at age 31. That price will likely remove many teams from the bidding, and the Dodgers have spent aggressively in recent offseasons. Skubal can help make the Dodgers the first NL team to ever three-peat as World Series champions before testing free agency this winter.
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