Recent Tarik Skubal Update Is Great News For Milwaukee

The Milwaukee Brewers should be excited about a recent update on Tarik Skubal, the top free agent available this offseason.

Skubal is widely considered one of the best, if not the best, pitchers in baseball. The 29-year-old will hit free agency for the first time and is about to get paid. Skubal is projected to sign a long-term contract nearing $40 million a year, per Spotrac. After winning back-to-back Cy Young Awards in 2024 and 2025, Skubal was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers as they attempted to three-peat. The two-time All-Star performed well with the Dodgers, posting a 2.61 ERA in 10 starts with 70 strikeouts, and did well in two postseason starts.

Where Skubal lands will likely be one of the biggest moves of the offseason, and luckily for the Brewers, he won't be playing for one of their biggest rivals. Though they were included alongside the Dodgers and the New York Mets as the most likely teams to sign the star pitcher, the Chicago Cubs reportedly have no plans to enter the Skubal sweepstakes, according to The Athletic's Sahadev Sharma.

Milwaukee won't have to see Skubal in its division

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) pitches during the first inning of their National League Championship Series game against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Oct 11, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

"As executives from across baseball gather in Las Vegas this week for the general managers’ meetings, the Chicago Cubs’ priority is clear: starting pitching," Sharma reported. "But amid a backdrop of labor uncertainty and with so many holes to fill on their roster, the Cubs appear unlikely to enter the bidding war for two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. The 29-year-old Skubal would be a good fit for any team; that much is clear. But for the Cubs, that’s where the match ends, team sources indicated.

"Toppling a market that’s expected to include the biggest spenders in the game for Skubal won’t be in the cards. The Cubs have shown no interest in spending like the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets. This winter, one in which labor negotiations muddy the waters for teams and their finances, won't be an exception. Though the Cubs are expected to stay on the sidelines during that frenzy, they will at least check in on every other free-agent pitcher."

Milwaukee played Chicago 13 times in the regular season, and not having to deal with a superstar like Skubal in the same division would be great for the Brewers. The Brewers have been one of the most consistent and dominant teams in the league for nearly a decade, reaching the postseason in eight of the last nine seasons and winning the division in each of the past four. Even so, it's a positive to know that a player of Skubal's caliber likely won't be joining the division.

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