3 Tarik Skubal suitors that should have the Cubs feeling nervous

For now, the Chicago Cubs are being treated as a suitor for Tarik Skubal. It's possible that changes by the time Skubal starts to receive offers, but as long as the Cubs are going to get mentioned in the sweepstakes, it's worth taking a look at what the bidding for Skubal will look like.

Obviously, Skubal is one of those talents that every team in baseball should be interested in, but only a handful can realistically afford the contract he's about to receive. That is one of the reasons why the Cubs are getting a mention, in addition to considering the need they have for pitching.

These three teams are the biggest threats to the Cubs' chances of signing Tarik Skubal

There's also the reality of MLB heading toward a lockout on December 2. The expectation is that the rules surrounding a team's payroll is going to look different once there's a new CBA in place. It's possible, there's a salary floor and salary cap. If so, not every team may be willing to sign Skubal before the lockout, considering they don't know the hinderance that could be on their books moving forward. Still, there are teams that the Cubs almost certainly will need to outbid.

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers have to be mentioned. On paper, currently, LA's trade for Skubal looks like one of the most lop-sided deals in recent memory. All for the Dodgers to not even reach the World Series. The Dodgers should be viewed as the favorites to sign Skubal, and nothing from Andrew Friedman's end-of-season press conference would suggest otherwise.

New York Mets

The messaging out of New York is that the Mets are ready to top the market for Skubal. After losing out to the Dodgers multiple times last offseason, it's possible the Mets simply offer Skubal stupid money and make sure that the Dodgers can't match the deal. There's precedent for them doing so, considering the lengths they went to while convincing Juan Soto to avoid a return to the Yankees.

San Diego Padres

Expecting to see the Philadelphia Phillies? No, they are going to be spending most of the offseason trying to clear money from their books. Expecting to see the Detroit Tigers? It's a lazy suggestion to think that Skubal could be headed back to the Detroit. The Padres should be viewed as the wild-card team, considering whenever there is a free-agent of Skubal's magnitude available, the Padres make sure they have a seat at the table.

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