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MLB

Skubal’s In-Season Trade Rules Out Qualifying Offer

His in-season move from Detroit to Los Angeles removes draft-pick compensation from his next signing.

By TSP Staff
Tarik Skubal speaks with reporters in the Dodgers’ clubhouse after their NLCS elimination.
Tarik Skubal after the Dodgers’ October 15, 2026, NLCS elimination. Still from MLB’s published clubhouse interview. · Credit: Los Angeles Dodgers via MLB.com

Tarik Skubal will reach free agency without a qualifying offer attached to him because he changed teams during the season, MLB.com reported Wednesday. His trade from Detroit to the Los Angeles Dodgers means his next club would not owe draft-pick compensation for signing him.

The left-hander finished the regular season 12–7 with a 2.72 ERA and 186 strikeouts in 158⅔ innings. He posted a 2.61 ERA in 10 starts for Los Angeles after the trade, then made one start in each of the Dodgers’ two postseason series.

Skubal allowed one run in six innings against Atlanta in the Division Series and two runs over five innings in a loss to Milwaukee in the NLCS. The Brewers’ elimination of Los Angeles ended his season before the open market.

MLB.com’s profile identifies potential destinations, including the Dodgers and Tigers, without reporting a signing or an agreed contract. Skubal also enters the offseason with recent injury history: he missed six weeks following a left-elbow procedure before returning in June. The trade removes the qualifying-offer consideration, while his next team and contract remain unsettled.