White Sox Offseason: Do Tarik Skubal Rumors Have Legitimacy?

With the 2026 World Series wrapped up, the offseason is here. In the coming days, the next class of free agents will be eligible to sign with new teams, and all 30 organizations will begin their mad dash to improve their rosters and address organizational needs before the impending lockout begins once the calendar flips to December.

The speculation and rumors are already starting. No free agent will command more attention over the next month than left-handed pitcher Tarik Skubal.

After winning back-to-back Cy Young Awards in 2024 and 2025 with the Detroit Tigers, Skubal had a down year in 2026, split between the Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers after the trade deadline. Even so, he finished the year 12-7 with a 2.72 ERA and 186 strikeouts in 158.2 innings pitched.

He spent some time on the injured list, but at 29 years old and set to turn 30 before the end of November, Skubal is squarely in his prime and will transform the rotation of whichever team he lands with.

He was already going to command a jaw-dropping amount of money, and a likely pursuit from the Los Angeles Dodgers, who will try to retain Skubal on a long-term contract, will only drive that price higher for other bidders hoping to get into the sweepstakes.

The Chicago White Sox are one of the teams in need of pitching, and they're already being linked to Skubal as a potential dark horse fit.

MLB analyst and insider Jim Bowden listed the White Sox alongside the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers as the three teams that are the best fits for Skubal.

Skubal's contract projections range anywhere from $350 million to $500 million. If previous free agency periods are any indication, I think his deal lands toward the top end of that range.

Transparently, that's a bit hard to believe, given the fact that the largest contract in White Sox franchise history is a $75 million deal that belongs to Andrew Benintendi. White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf has never liked the idea of committing big money to pitching, especially a 30-year-old pitcher who may never measure up to his annual salary after the first few years of the contract.

How are White Sox fans supposed to believe this offseason will be any different? And is their interest legitimate?

Chicago has been very blatant about its interest in adding pitching. Combine that with the introduction of soon-to-be owner Justin Ishbia, who has made annual financial contributions to fund White Sox operations, and you may see a world where the White Sox are players for a premium arm on the free agent market. The financial outlook could look very different.

I don't see that being a reality. I think the White Sox will be interested in Tarik Skubal enough to make a phone call and assess what his market will be. They may have their name involved as one of the interested teams. They may even make an offer.

But will it be a good-faith offer? One that could actually get a deal done? I doubt it.

The White Sox have been all about maintaining optionality. They've done it with prospects, and they've done it with finances. And while I do think there's a world in which Chicago is looser with the purse strings this winter, I don't see them cranking up their payroll by $40 million or $50 million for a singular player. Not when the team isn't one pitcher away.

The White Sox could use multiple additions to their starting rotation. It would make far more sense for them to entertain Skubal while making a serious pursuit of a Freddy Peralta or Michael King than to outbid teams like the Mets and Dodgers for the very best pitcher on the free agent market.

This one seems closer to fiction than fact to me. But as free agency gets underway, the White Sox could prove me wrong and make a big splash.