The Toronto Blue Jays are set to meet with free agent pitcher Tarik Skubal before the Thanksgiving holiday in California.

While some publications indicate that the New York Mets are the heavy favorite for Skubal, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic says that the Jays have to be taken seriously

So, let's separate some fact from fiction and discuss where things are at for the Jays and Skubal.

As noted by Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Skubal is expected to get a deal worth at least seven years. And any deal that he accepts figures to be at least $325 million, though we've heard speculation that he could get upwards of $400 million.

It's reasonable to assume he gets anywhere between 7-10 years for $325-$500 million.

For now, there's no salary cap, so the Blue Jays are free to spend whatever they want.

As for what they have available? Well, the actual budget is not known publicly, but Toronto did shed the contracts of Kevin Gausman, George Springer, Max Scherzer, Daulton Varsho, Shane Bieber and Yimi Garcia this offseason. In total, Toronto is losing more than $100 million off last year's payroll, and while some more will get added back in as a result of arbitration and other contract increases, it's fair to say that yes, the Blue Jays can afford another big money deal.

They've given out several of them over the last half-decade, including Dylan Cease, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Springer, Gausman, and Kazuma Okamoto.

Every single team in baseball needs the best pitcher in baseball. It's just reality. And if Toronto got Skubal to pair with Cease? They'd have the best 1-2 punch in the American League and would be one step closer to getting back to the playoffs.

Going all-in on pitching is certainly one route to go for Toronto, but I continue to maintain that Skubal is not a necessity for Toronto.

They currently have Cease, Jose Soriano, Trey Yesavage and Cody Ponce making up a 1-4 in the rotation with Jose Berrios, Bowden Francis and others capable of stepping into the No. 5 spot. I'd rather see the Jays help an offense that scored the fewest runs in baseball in 2026, and that can be done at half the price of Skubal, leaving more room for moves to be done.

Very. With the lockout looming, Skubal will want to sign early, before there's any chance of a salary cap coming in and impacting his total earning power.