Major League Baseball’s general manager meetings open in Las Vegas on Tuesday, and the winter’s biggest question — where Tarik Skubal signs — is expected to dominate the conversation.
Skubal, the two-time Cy Young winner, is the undisputed prize of the free-agent market, according to ESPN’s offseason tracker. The Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets have emerged as the primary suitors, according to reporting from The Athletic, with the San Diego Padres also expected to be in the mix. The meetings run from November 10 to 12, and while Skubal is unlikely to sign this week, the picture of his market should become clearer.
The backdrop is unlike any offseason in recent memory. A lockout looms on December 2, and teams and agents alike are sprinting to get business done before the industry shuts down. MLB insider Jon Morosi reports that trade conversations are more advanced than is typical for this point in November.
A market moving early
“The GM Meetings are often a venue for preliminary talks, but it would not surprise me if there is a deal or two this week,” Morosi said, according to SI. Team officials have told him their trade conversations are further along than usual — and the lockout deadline is the reason.
The free-agent class beyond Skubal includes Freddy Peralta, Randy Arozarena, Seiya Suzuki and Michael King, according to ESPN. Eight players received $23.15 million qualifying offers on November 2, including Yankees closer David Bednar, Suzuki and Arozarena. The Mets have already re-signed pitcher Robert Stock to a one-year deal.
What comes next
Morosi also reports that trade candidates with one year of control left — Logan Gilbert, Steven Kwan, Joe Ryan and Sandy Alcantara among them — are unlikely to be moved for prospects this month, because teams are unsure what kind of 2027 season to expect. Pending free agents, though, could be moved for each other as a way to balance the risk. Expect the first deals of the winter to land before the week is out.
