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Dodgers Notes: Tarik Skubal Contract Prediction, Andy Pages Extension Idea, Shoki Oda to LA?

Catch up on all the latest Dodgers news and notes.
Gabe Smallson|
Oct 12, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages (44) reacts at second base during the second inning against the Milwaukee Brewers in game two of the NLCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
Oct 12, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages (44) reacts at second base during the second inning against the Milwaukee Brewers in game two of the NLCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Los Angeles Dodgers

When the Los Angeles Dodgers traded for two-time Cy Young award winner Tarik Skubal this past trade deadline, there were no guarantees that he would be on the roster beyond October.

As is the case with any acquisition, there is a certain level of risk involved. However, when the player being acquired is among the best pitchers in baseball on an expiring contract, a team looking to add a third championship in as many years will almost always take that chance.

As Skubal approaches free agency, his contract prediction looms almost as large as his resume, with some experts foreseeing a deal in the half-a-billion dollar range.

In other news, Skubal's would-be deal would not be the only money the Dodgers throw around this offseason, not just because of their many free agents, but because of a major contract extension that should be prioritized this winter. All-Star centerfielder Andy Pages is just entering arbitration eligibility, but the Dodgers could look to buy out his arbitration years and first few free agency years to lock him up for years to come.

Finally, the Dodgers are always linked to the top talent emerging from Japan given their track record with past players, a Japanese-born manager and even Los Angeles being the city with the highest population of Japanese citizens in the contiguous United States. This winter, 18-year-old pitcher Shoki Oda is reportedly expected to continue the trend and sign with the Dodgers, according to the California Post's Dylan Hernandez.

"And while people familiar with his situation insist he hasn’t made a decision, the widespread expectation around the industry is that 18-year-old Shoki Oda of Japan will end up with the Dodgers," Hernandez wrote.

What makes the phenom pitcher unique, aside from his 97 mph fastball clocked as the fastest in the history of the Japanese high school Koshien tournament's history, is that he has still never played professionally. If Oda does, in fact, forego the Nippon Professional Baseball and enter MLB (which he can only do after a new collective bargaining agreement is inked), he would be the first to ever do so, likely opening the door for more amateur Japanese stars looking to take their talents to North America.

Here’s all the latest Dodgers news and stories (click the headline for the full article):

2 Insiders Project $500 Million Contract for Dodgers’ Tarik Skubal in Free Agency

One Major Contract Extension the Dodgers Could Get Done This Offseason

Dodgers Expected to Sign 18-Year-Old Japanese Phenom Pitcher: Report

Dodgers' 13-Year Veteran Projected to Sign 1-Year, $1.5 Million Deal in Free Agency

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Gabe Smallson
GABE SMALLSON

Gabe Smallson is a sportswriter based in Los Angeles with a focus in sports and entertainment content. Gabe has previously worked at Newsweek and Dodgers Nation. He graduated from San Francisco State University in 2020 and received his Masters of Science at the University of Southern California in 2025.

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