Padres Have Better Odds Than Dodgers to Sign Tarik Skubal, Per Insider

The competition to acquire Tarik Skubal will be at an all-time high.

Oct 3, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) throws during the third inning of game one of the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The 2026-27 offseason for the San Diego Padres is extremely crucial, as they are focused on doing whatever it takes to win a World Series title.

It's no secret the Padres need to bolster their starting rotation. Michael King is at the top of their list, but so is Tarik Skubal, the best free agent on the market.

The Padres have already been heavily linked to the two-time Cy Young award winner this offseason, and according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, they have better odds of landing Skubal than the Dodgers.

Heyman gives the Padres 4-1 odds to sign Skubal, compared to the Dodgers, who have 5-1 odds.

"They have excited and engaged new owners in Jose E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones and baseball’s biggest go-for-it agent in A.J. Preller, and word is they are going to make a play instead of rumblings are gathering that they are going to make a play," Heyman wrote.

The competition for Skubal is fierce. Other teams in the running will be the New York Mets, who Heyman said have the best odds to acquire him. The Toronto Blue Jays are the fourth known team to have a meeting set up with Skubal, and at least two others are expected to be in the mix, too.

Padres Have Meeting Set Up With Tarik Skubal

The Padres brass already met with Skubal's agent, Scott Boras, during the general managers' meetings this week in Las Vegas.

Next week, they're set to meet with Skubal himself. The team's new owners are expected to be present.

"The Padres look like a big threat to the Mets for superstar free agent left-hander Tarik Skubal," Heyman wrote. "While the Mets are perhaps considered the favorite for Skubal due to Steve Cohen’s largesse, the Padres are an interesting wild card in the derby. Their new owners, Jose E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones, are 'very committed' to winning, Padres GM A.J. Preller said."

President of baseball operations A.J. Preller and the new owners are aggressively looking to fill a depleted starting rotation.

The Padres' number one priority this offseason is starting pitching. Skubal easily comes to mind as a player the Padres should target, and the new owners have signaled a willingness to explore the top of the market and re-engage in major pursuits.

Skubal is the biggest fish in the pond this winter. Although the Padres don't have the financial flexibility compared to the Dodgers or Mets, that isn't stopping them from doing what they can to bolster their rotation.

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