{
  "id": 19184402,
  "title": "MLB rumors: Cubs’ Tarik Skubal sleeper status amid Dodgers vs. Mets battle immediately gets cold water dumped on it",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/09/mlb-rumors-cubs-tarik-skubal-sleeper-status-amid-dodgers-vs-mets",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-09T17:30:48.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/mlb-rumors-cubs-tarik-skubal-173048136.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Recent MLB rumors surrounding the Chicago Cubs and their potential pursuit of two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal have been met with skepticism. The Cubs, who are in need of starting pitching, are expected to compete for other available pitchers in the market, per Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic. This means they will not be focusing their attention on Skubal specifically. Additionally, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets are also vying for Skubal's services, as reported by Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Skubal, who shattered the arbitration record last year, is on track to break the free agent record for pitchers, a feat previously held by Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The Dodgers are the front-runners to re-sign Skubal, with the Mets in second place, offering $244.4 million. Meanwhile, the possibility of an MLB lockout looms if the players' association and the owners cannot agree on a salary cap. The Cubs, as noted by USA Today, are still considered \"in play\" for Skubal. This could be due to Jed Hoyer, the Cubs General Manager, using the White Sox's postseason run and the Brewers' World Series win as potential catalysts. The Cubs have lost five free agent starters in recent years and are reportedly scouting options like Michael King, Freddy Peralta, and others to strengthen their pitching rotation. Following an early playoff exit against the San Diego Padres in the NL Wild Card series, Skubal posted a 12-7 record with a 2.73 ERA and 186 strikeouts in the 2022 season.",
  "summary": "The biggest name on the free-agent market is two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. The Chicago Cubs, who need starting pitching , are projected to be in the battle. However, the Cubs are being careful , per Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic. In other words, they will be vying for other pitchers on the market, who have some solid numbers. As a […] The post MLB rumors: Cubs’ Tarik Skubal…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}