The Los Angeles Dodgers' 2026 season ended in disappointment when they were swept by the soon-to-be World Series champion Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series. 

The Dodgers' chances at earning a third straight ring were wiped out by the very team they had swept in the NLCS the season prior, and now their star-studded roster is looking a little less invincible and, instead, more expensive and old.

The front office, led by president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, has not been afraid to spend money, and it may find itself in a serious bidding war for ace left-hander Tarik Skubal soon enough.

After rocking the free agent market last winter with the signings of Kyle Tucker and Edwin Diaz, the Dodgers took it a step further when they dominated headlines at the MLB Trade Deadline for acquiring Skubal from the Detroit Tigers.

Skubal came to Los Angeles in the midst of a one-year, $32 million contract he signed with the Tigers in February to settle in arbitration. There was always a chance he was only going to be a rental, and the prospect of that might be heating up.

Recently, Steve Adams, Anthony Franco and Darrah McDonald of MLB Trade Rumors put together a list of their top 50 free agents with their corresponding predictions for what those free agents would earn on their next contract and where they would end up playing. 

It is no surprise that Skubal was No. 1 on the list, and the trio of writers believes he will receive a nine-year deal worth $425 million. However, only Franco believes Skubal will be returning to the Dodgers. Adams and McDonald believe he will sign with the New York Mets.

According to Spotrac, the Mets were the only team that had a higher total payroll than the Dodgers, as theirs came in at $346.7 million compared to Los Angeles's $339.3 million. The difference was that New York did not play as if it had the top payroll. 

Instead, the Mets went 74-88 in an incredibly disappointing season. This offseason will be defined by the tension occurring between the team owners and the Major League Baseball Players Association as the two sides attempt to navigate a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. 

If a salary cap is instituted, both the Dodgers and the Mets will be spending significantly less money, but that does not mean that both will not be vying for Skubal's services.