Do the Chicago Cubs have an inside track to Tarik Skubal?

The Chicago Cubs have a good news-bad news offseason awaiting them.

More News: Chicago Cubs: This Cade Horton estimated return date is a real bummer

The bad news is that they have a lot to do in a short period of time, especially when staring down the likelihood of a prolonged labor dispute this winter/spring. They’re going to have to completely rebuild their starting rotation, acquire some back-of-bullpen consistency, and replace their two starting corner outfielders and catcher, who will be eligible for free agency.

The good news, however, is that a lot of money will be coming off the books, affording them the opportunity to rebuild the best way they see fit.

Although the 2027 free agent talent pool is not the deepest, there will still be lots of names available, especially on the pitching side of things. The biggest name, of course, is two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal.

Tarik Skubal and the Cubs?

More News: Chicago Cubs: One bold trade to deal with looming outfield crisis

On the surface, Skubal would appear to be well beyond the Cubs’ reach as a team that isn’t historically open to spending big on front-line pitching. His projected 8-9 year, $360-$380 million contract is definitely enough to make a Cubs-Skubal union unlikely.

But Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic believe that the Cubs shouldn’t necessarily be written off as serious suitors for the ace lefty. They point out that the looming labor dispute and the uncertainty attached to the next collective bargaining agreement, along with Skubal’s history of injury, could bring the asking price down just enough to make Chicago a contender for his services.

The Cubs have an inside track?

Mooney and Sharma believe that the Cubs have other things working in their favor in a Skubal pursuit:

“Hoyer has a good working relationship with Skubal’s agent, Scott Boras, and the two sides came together on Alex Bregman’s five-year, $175 million contract last winter, plus two separate deals for Cody Bellinger previously. The $70 million worth of deferred money in Bregman’s pact demonstrated that the Cubs can revise their club policy and use different financial instruments.

The Cubs engaged the Detroit Tigers in Skubal talks before this year’s trade deadline. The two-time Cy Young Award winner has deep roots in Arizona and a home base near the Cubs’ training complex in Mesa, which would make spring training convenient as he enters his 30s.”

Realistically, the Cubs landing Skubal, amid a bidding war featuring teams such as the Dodgers and Mets, is a long shot. Given the Cubs’ particular needs, it also might be advisable to buy in bulk this offseason, acquiring maybe two or three quality pitchers for the money it would take to land Skubal.

But, still, building a starting rotation beginning with the best pitcher in baseball would be a big deal and maybe a great motivational asset for a 2027 playoff run.

The post Do the Chicago Cubs have an inside track to Tarik Skubal? appeared first on ChiCitySports.