Tarik Skubal

Left-hander Tarik Skubal, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, is arguably the best overall pitcher in baseball and is without a doubt the top free agent available this winter. Entering his age-30 season in 2027, Skubal will be the most sought-after player in baseball this offseason, and MLB Network's Jon Heyman believes that the New York Mets are the current favorites to eventually sign him. The Los Angeles Dodgers, who acquired Skubal from the Detroit Tigers at the trade deadline in early August, are also a strong bet to bring Skubal back after he went 5-2 with a 2.61 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 70:13 K:BB in 62 innings over 10 regular-season starts for the Blue in the second half. There are unsurprisingly a lot of teams involved in the Skubal sweepstakes, but few teams have the kind of financial resources that the Mets and Dodgers do. The reason Heyman slightly favors the Mets is that he thinks they are more desperate for a turnaround after missing out on the postseason in each of the last two years. Heyman also mentions the San Diego Padres (with new ownership), the San Francisco Giants, the Philadelphia Phillies, and the Toronto Blue Jays as some other teams that could seriously get involved. Regardless of where Skubal lands this offseason, he should be one of the top fantasy targets among starting pitchers in 2027.