There’s a chance the New York Yankees are already planning out their budget for free agency in a year and a half.
That’s what ESPN’s Buster Olney implied during Sunday Night Baseball.
Why is that?
One name: Tarik Skubal.
The Detroit Tigers’ left-handed ace is slated to be a free agent after the 2026 season.
Here’s what Olney had to say on ESPN’s broadcast:
“Tarik Skubal is set to land 400 million after the 2026 season. The question is whether it will come from the Yankees, Dodgers or Mets.”
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The heavy hitters are set to compete for the best southpaw on the planet.
The Yankees of old would classically win this battle. But clearly, the Dodgers and Mets have both entered the heavy-hitter equation of late.
The Tigers will surely have a say in the matter, too. Skubal is dominant again in 2025 as Detroit holds the best record in baseball.
But Olney clearly gets the sense from some folks in baseball that the big markets are looking ahead to how they might land Skubal.
And if that’s the case, the Yankees will surely be in the picture.
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