The Philadelphia Phillies Don't Actually Need Tarik Skubal

The Philadelphia Phillies absolutely need to bolster their roster this offseason after yet another early playoff exit, but they actually shouldn't be pursuing the biggest fish on the free-agent market.

Tarik Skubal is going to be the top player available this winter, and he will surely have a wide range of suitors. But the Phillies should not be one of them.

Why? Because Philadelphia already boasts one of the best starting rotations in baseball.

The trio of Cristopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo and Zack Wheeler is fantastic, and Andrew Painter showed tremendous signs during the second half of the season.

Yes, Aaron Nola is infinitely replaceable, but he did have a strong second half overall, even if his last couple of starts were less than desirable.

Skubal is likely to command $400 million. He's one of the best pitchers in baseball, he's a left-hander and his agent is Scott Boras.

The Phillies have already been monitoring their payroll closely as it is. Their roster is littered with lucrative long-term deals, some of which are not exactly good ones. Do they really want to spend nearly half a billion dollars in an area that doesn't have a need?

Philadelphia needs bats and it needs relievers; period. The Phillies had one of the worst offenses in the league this year, and their bullpen was a disaster down the stretch — and really, for most of the campaign.

That is where Philadelphia should be spending its money.

Sure, the idea of Skubal is tempting. He is a dominant force who won back-to-back Cy Young awards in 2024 and 2025 and just posted a 2.72 ERA and 0.964 WHIP in 2026.

But he's also turning 30 years old next month and has had multiple elbow surgeries. Handing him big-time money over an extended period of time is going to be a significant risk, and it's one that the Phillies really can't take.

Philadelphia's holes are obvious. It must address its outfield, which didn't field a single reliable hitter this season. It needs to find another bat either at second base or third base, depending on where the Phillies want to put Bryson Stott. And they also need to bring in a serviceable catcher alongside J.T. Realmuto.

And of course, it must build a better bridge to Jhoan Duran in the ninth inning.

Skubal does not fill any of those needs. At that cost, it's simply not worth it.