Tarik Skubal and Teruaki Sato Lead MLB’s Strangest Free Agency Yet

MLB Free Agency: Tarik Skubal, Teruaki Sato headline a 2026-27 offseason fraught with uncertainty.

The offseason is now officially underway.

Free agents can sign a contract any time between now and December 1, 2026.

But this is shaping up as one of the weakest and weirdest MLB free agencies in recent memory.

Outside of all-world left-hander Tarik Skubal, this winter’s group of free agents is devoid of superstar talent.

That is especially true among position players.

There are a few potential difference-makers.

But the class could thin out even further.

Eight players received a one-year, $23.15 million qualifying offer from their incumbent clubs.

If any of them accept, the free-agent pool shrinks more.

Dramatically complicating the 2026-27 offseason is the fast-approaching expiration of baseball’s collective bargaining agreement.

The current CBA expires at 5 p.m. ET on December 1, 2026.

A lengthy work stoppage is all but certain to follow until a new CBA is reached.

That will take months.

Free agency is set to grind to a halt until the MLB owners, who want a salary cap, and the MLB Players Association, which staunchly rejects one, can find common ground.

Teams probably won’t be willing to hand out big-money, multi-year contracts until a new deal is reached.

That likely means sometime in 2027.

Whether they sign now or many months in the future, here are the best available free agents.

TARIK SKUBAL

The clear prize of this class.

Skubal is expected to command a record-setting contract that could exceed $400 million in total value.

He turns 30 this month.

In 2026, Skubal went 12-7 with a 2.72 ERA and 186 strikeouts in 158.2 innings with the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers.

That came after he won back-to-back American League Cy Young Awards in 2024 and 2025.

Any team that signs Skubal must be comfortable with his health.

The lefty missed six weeks before the All-Star break due to a revolutionary NanoScope surgery to remove a loose body in his throwing elbow.

If all checks out — and the new CBA allows for it — Skubal should shatter Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s historic $325 million contract with the Dodgers.

He could surpass the record-setting $43.3 million annual salaries the Mets paid Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander.

The Dodgers remain the favorite to retain Skubal.

But could the Mets — who typically haven’t shopped at the top of the pitching market under David Stearns — make an exception after back-to-back playoff misses?

TERUAKI SATO

The race to sign Japanese power hitter Teruaki Sato is on.

Interested MLB teams have less than a month to sign players that have been posted by Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) or Korea’s KBO.

The current MLB CBA will expire at 5 p.m. ET on December 1, 2026.

Sato, a third baseman, won his second consecutive NPB Central League MVP award in 2026.

He led the league in batting average (.306), home runs (39) and RBI (106).

American fans may recognize him from the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

He hit three doubles in 10 at-bats.

Sato turns 28 next March, making him especially young for a free agent.

In a free-agent market notably shallow on impact bats, Sato stands out.

The looming deadline for him to strike a deal makes him an undisputed main character for the remainder of November.

Unlike the majority of recent Japanese stars, Sato wasn’t a high-profile prospect in high school in Osaka.

His stock rose once he enrolled at nearby Kindai University, one of the top collegiate programs in the country.

There, his power-hitting prowess quickly separated Sato from his peers.

Now, MLB teams are circling.

SATO TO THE YANKEES?

The Yankees have a clear need at third base.

Ryan McMahon was a weak link in the New York lineup this past season.

McMahon hit just .213 with 11 homers in 2026.

He had just one hit in four postseason games.

Brian Cashman’s first priority this offseason is to re-sign closer David Bednar.

The Yankees then must focus on rebuilding their infield and getting younger.

Sato is entering the prime of his career at 27 years old.

SATO TO THE METS?

Third base is not a need for the Mets.

First base most certainly is.

If the Mets are serious about signing Sato, they will likely attempt to transition him to being a first baseman.

It’s unknown if Sato and his representatives would go for that.

If the dollar figures are around the same from the Mets and, say, the Yankees, Sato would likely sign with the Yankees.

He could stay at his natural position.

The Mets would likely need to overwhelm Sato with money in order for him to change positions.

Of note, Mets President of Baseball Operations David Stearns traveled to Japan in September of 2026 to scout Sato.

SATO TO THE PHILLIES?

Like the Yankees, the Phillies have a need at third base.

Alec Bohm is likely to leave via free agency.

The Phillies did not extend a qualifying offer to the man who has been a staple of their infield since 2020.

Phillies GM Preston Mattingly scouted Bohm in person in May.

The team sent scouts to watch Sato play in the Central League Climax Series last month.

THE OTHER NPB STARS

Three players headline the class of NPB stars coming to MLB this winter.

Along with Sato, there are Seibu Lions right-hander Kaima Taira and Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters right-hander Hiromi Itoh.

Crucially, reports indicate that the usual 45-day posting window for NPB stars seeking MLB contracts will not be amended due to the coming lockout.

The lockout will freeze transactions league-wide.