Yankees Named Top Landing Spot For Tarik Skubal Entering Offseason

The New York Yankees saw their playoff lives come crashing down in the American League Division Series to the Tampa Bay Rays.

After sweeping the Boston Red Sox in the wild-card series, New York was swept by Tampa Bay. This now sends the Yankees into a tough offseason, filled with all sorts of questions around the organization.

New York did play the series against Tampa Bay without star Aaron Judge due to injury, giving the team some leeway. But the early postseason exit just marks another season where the Yankees didn't win the World Series.

And as the team enters the offseason, the front office has a lot of work to do to fix the roster. The starting pitching was the strength of this team all season, but the Yankees could elect to keep diving into it.

One name that could make some sense for New York to go after is ace Tarik Skubal, who split time between the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers this year. Skubal is seen by many as one of the best pitchers in baseball, and he will be hitting free agency this offseason.

MLB analyst Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report linked the Yankees to Skubal, listing them as a top landing spot. New York is one of the few teams across baseball that may be willing to give the lefty ace the type of contract that he desires in free agency.

Many are expecting Skubal to receive over $300 million in free agency, but whether the Yankees would e willing to pay this remains to be seen. Skubal could add to a rotation that has Cam Schlittler, Max Fried, Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon, giving New York the best group in baseball.

Cole is getting older and he wasn't as effective this year, so the Skubal argument could make sense. The left-hander was very good again this season, even with him missing time due to an injury.

Skubal posted a 2.72 ERA over 26 starts between the two teams, while striking out 186 batters over 158.2 innings. The left-hander remained dominant on the mound, and he has more than earned a massive payday this offseason.

New York could be a solid landing spot for Skubal, giving him the chance to play in the biggest city that the sport has to offer. But the Yankees will have competition to sign Skubal this offseason, which could see a bidding war take place.