Sports · Baseball · 6 hrs ago
Padres Express Interest in Tarik Skubal
The San Diego Padres have shown interest in Tarik Skubal, a free-agent starting pitcher, as the offseason gets underway.
Skubal is a two-time Cy Young winner and is widely expected to seek a record deal.
The Padres’ starting rotation needs a major rebuild, with many of their starters from this season no longer under contract or uncertain to return.
The team is projected to have about $193 million in payroll and luxury-tax commitments for 2027, including estimates for arbitration-eligible players.
A deal for Skubal could set new highs: a forecast cited in the story puts his contract at nine years and $425 million.
That would exceed the Padres’ franchise-record $340 million deal for Fernando Tatis Jr. The Padres’ interest is confirmed, but no deal is reported, and they would still need to add pitching depth even if they signed Skubal.
The Padres have expressed interest in free-agent pitcher Tarik Skubal, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network.
Skubal is widely expected to set a record for a pitcher’s annual contract value and could exceed Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s $325 million guarantee.
San Diego is projected to have about $193 million in payroll and luxury-tax figures for 2027, including arbitration estimates.
The Padres face major uncertainty in their starting rotation, with Randy Vásquez the only returning pitcher who started more than six games this year.
- Who
- The San Diego Padres and Tarik Skubal, a free-agent pitcher.
- What
- The Padres have expressed interest in Skubal.
- When
- In the early days of the offseason. The article was published on November 10, 2026.
- Where
- San Diego; no specific location for the reported interest is stated.
- Why
- The Padres need to overhaul much of their starting rotation. The sources do not state why the team is interested in Skubal specifically.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The Padres scaled back free-agent spending after the passing of former owner Peter Seidler.
The Seidler family sold the franchise to a group led by José E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones.
The Padres were reported to be among the teams showing interest in Skubal.
- Reported interest
- The Padres are among the teams interested in Tarik Skubal.
- 2027 projected payroll
- About $193 million, including arbitration estimates.
- 2026 luxury-tax figure
- About $269.43 million.
- San Diego franchise record
- $340 million, for Fernando Tatis Jr.’s extension.
- Rotation returners
- Randy Vásquez was the only Padres pitcher who started more than six games this year.
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To be more specific: The Padres, under new ownership, already have expressed interest in Tarik Skubal.