Dodgers Lose 11 Players as Skubal Free Agency Heats Up

Dodgers Notes: LA Loses 11 Players to Free Agency, Tarik Skubal Suitors, Opening Day Lineup Projection.

The Los Angeles Dodgers officially lost 11 more players to free agency.

Six of the 11 minor league players were pitchers.

Only one of them made it to the majors in 2026.

This comes as the Dodgers face another major offseason decision: whether to re-sign two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.

Skubal is the most sought-after free agent in baseball right now.

Seven teams are expected to pursue him, according to an ESPN insider.

Bovada's latest next-team odds favor the New York Mets at +110.

The Dodgers are not far behind at +140.

The Chicago Cubs (+600) and San Diego Padres (+900) remain in the mix.

The New York Yankees (+1200), Detroit Tigers (+1500), Los Angeles Angels (+2000), and Toronto Blue Jays (+2500) are also listed.

Skubal, 29, is expected to earn a contract between $324 million and $400 million.

ESPN projects an average contract of eight years and $355 million, which is a $44.6 million average annual value.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today said the bidding for Skubal has to start over Yoshinobu Yamamoto's record-breaking $325 million contract with the Dodgers.

"Everybody's gotta start a bid over that, they're not gonna go under $325M, so we'll see if it hits $400M," Nightengale said on FoulTerritoryTV.

He added that the big thing is the overall record, which belongs to Juan Soto.

Soto signed a 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets in 2024.

Nightengale said if a few teams are in the same ballpark, the teams out West have an advantage since Skubal lives out there.

"I would think that if the Dodgers are close, he goes back to L.A.," Nightengale said.

On the "Baseball Tonight Podcast," Buster Olney was joined by Alden Gonzalez, Jesse Rogers, and Jorge Castillo.

Castillo made the case that Skubal could end up as a New York Met.

He called the Mets "the favorites" to get the lefty.

He compared it to their signing of Juan Soto a few years ago.

"If Steve Cohen wants Skubal, he will sign Skubal," Castillo said.

"Skubal is another Scott Boras client, just like Juan Soto."

"The Yankees went up to 16 years, $760 million, and the Mets went a little higher over 15 years."

"And I think that will happen in this situation."

Castillo noted it's possible Skubal chooses to take a little less money to play for another organization.

The Mets finished last in their division this year.

The Dodgers won the NL West and made it to the NLCS.

"This is the second most expensive payroll in baseball the last couple years, and they have not reached the postseason," Castillo explained.

"They need to reach the postseason."

That kind of frustrating results can lead to more aggression in the offseason.

But this isn't purely a financial decision, according to Alden Gonzalez.

"I do believe that all things being equal, Tarik Skubal would go back to the Dodgers," Gonzalez explained.

Gonzalez said Skubal recently told him how much he enjoyed his time there with those coaches.

He also enjoyed the time he spent with teammates, especially fellow ace Blake Snell.

"I do think Tarik Skubal is the type of guy who values familiarity, somebody who came up in the Tigers organization and only knew that place," Gonzalez said.

"I don't know that he wants to go through change again."

"But having said that, Scott Boras is his agent."

"He's going to chase a record-setting contract."

"I don't think there's any doubt that he's going to get it."

Gonzalez wrote for ESPN: "My sense is Skubal would love to return to the Dodgers."

"He truly seemed to relish his 2½ months in Los Angeles."

"He loved the culture, particularly being among so many established, veteran players who were singularly focused on winning."

"He became besties with Blake Snell, was awed by the organization's resources and, overall, seemed to fit in seamlessly."

Skubal's agent, Scott Boras, spoke on the union between his prized southpaw and the Dodgers shortly after the trade deadline.

"It's great for both the Dodgers and for Tarik that they both get to know one another quite well and determine more about what the future may hold for them," Boras said to the California Post after the trade to Los Angeles.

"There's nothing like getting to know how a franchise works and your role in it."

That could be a thinly-veiled hint that the Dodgers would get some sort of advantage by renting his services before the offseason.

Nightengale was asked if there might be a "mystery team" that gets involved for Skubal.

"I don't think so," he said.

"I mean, would the San Francisco Giants be a mystery team?"

"I don't think so."

"They got the money."