Tarik Skubal Free Agency: Dodgers, Tigers and Other Potential Landing Spots

Tarik Skubal is a free agent after finishing the 2026 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, putting a possible return to Los Angeles or Detroit among the questions facing the pitching market. The left hander elected free agency October 29, according to MLB’s transaction log.

MLB.com’s October 21 profile listed the Dodgers, Tigers, Mets, Cubs, Blue Jays and Phillies as potential fits, rather than confirmed bidders.

His season also included an elbow procedure. The Associated Press reported on July 31 that Skubal had missed about five weeks after surgery to remove loose bodies. He subsequently posted a 2.03 ERA across five starts totaling 31 innings with Detroit.

His regular season numbers give prospective buyers a clear starting point. Skubal finished 12–7 with a 2.72 ERA across 26 starts between Detroit and Los Angeles. He struck out 186 batters over 158⅔ innings and allowed 126 hits, 27 walks and 14 home runs. Skubal faced 620 batters during that span.

Those totals translate to 10.55 strikeouts and 1.53 walks per nine innings, with a 0.96 WHIP. The strikeout total was nearly seven times his walk total. His 158⅔ innings averaged slightly more than six innings per start, pairing swing and miss production with consistently limited walks.

The Dodgers acquired Skubal from Detroit in August after he won consecutive American League Cy Young Awards. He played the season on a $32 million salary, set through arbitration. That was his final season before reaching free agency, giving the deadline acquisition a limited period of guaranteed club control.

Across 26 starts, Skubal’s 0.96 WHIP represented fewer than one hit or walk allowed per inning. His 186 strikeouts exceeded his 126 hits allowed by 60, while 27 walks equaled slightly more than one per start. Those comparisons describe his regular season without forecasting his next contract.