The New York Yankees find themselves in a similar position to last year, having been eliminated in the division round for a second consecutive season in 2026, extending their World Series drought.
The Yankees, who will go back to the drawing board in the offseason, were carried by their pitching staff for most of the season in the absence of three-time MVP and talisman Aaron Judge. While the Yankees have major infield decisions to make in the offseason, they also need to address their power-hitting, which took a backseat in the absence of Judge.
Although the lack of hitting in the division series against the Tampa Bay Rays stood out for the Yankees, the Bronx Bombers also need to add pitching depth in the offseason. The Yankees could build a championship-winning caliber team by adding two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal in free agency.
•
Cam Schlittler, who put in a Cy Young-caliber performance, did most of the heavy lifting for the Yankees in 2026. Skubal’s arrival in New York will take the pressure off Schlittler. Although the Yankees have a logjam of starting pitchers, veteran ace Gerrit Cole has been troubled by injuries over the last two seasons.
Carlos Rodón and Max Fried also missed several games due to injuries in 2026. The potential signing of Skubal will arguably elevate the Yankees’ rotation to the best in the American League.
Also Read:
10 Huge Calls Yankees Need To Make In Offseason After Disappointing ALDS Exit in 2026
10 Dodgers Players With the Most Disappointing 2026 Report Card
Tarik Skubal’s suitors
The Los Angeles Dodgers won the race for Tarik Skubal in a blockbuster mid-season deal ahead of this year’s trade deadline. The Dodgers sent Zyhir Hope, River Ryan and Brady Smith to the Detroit Tigers for the two-time Cy Young winner.
The Yankees, who were linked with a move for Skubal since last offseason, failed in their pursuit of the All-Star pitcher. However, the Yankees weren’t the only team pursuing Skubal as World Series contenders; the Milwaukee Brewers were also close to a potential trade.
Brewers owner Mark Attanasio revealed that after sweeping the Dodgers in the National League Championship Series, they were close to trading for Skubal but fell short in their package for the two-time Cy Young winner.
“This team was built not bought,” Attanasio said. “It’s critical to look at how we got here, and because I want to have sustained success, we had to do that by being very careful about, you know, how many prospects we gave up.
“I asked (general manager) Matt Arnold, ‘Can we add anything to this package?’ Detroit gave us a best and final. I think I might have said, ‘Are you sure, Matt?’ I think (our) best and final wasn’t best and final.”
With Skubal heading into free agency, the Yankees can expect stiff competition from the Dodgers, who failed in their pursuit of a historic World Series three-peat this season. Although Skubal had a rocky start to his Dodgers tenure after his trade from Detroit, the All-Star ace found his groove in September.
He earned the win for the Dodgers in Game 1 of the NLDS after restricting the Atlanta Braves to just one earned run over six innings. However, he took the loss against the Brewers in Game 1 of the NLCS after allowing two earned runs over five innings in a 2-1 loss.
It’s worth noting that Skubal underwent elbow surgery in his throwing arm to remove loose bodies. He made a swift recovery and returned to the mound in just over a month after his surgery. Despite his surgery, Skubal posted a 12-7 record with a 2.72 ERA over 26 starts.
Yankees will need to break the bank to land Tarik Skubal
Despite undergoing elbow surgery in 2026, Tarik Skubal is expected to fetch a record contract in his free agency. The Dodgers, who are expected to pursue Skubal in free agency, signed Yoshinobu Yamamoto to an MLB record 12-year, $325 million deal before the 2024 season.
While the Dodgers broke the record for the most guaranteed money for a pitcher by signing Yamamoto, the New York Yankees are no slouch when it comes to paying starting pitchers.
Before Yamamoto’s deal, the Yankees set the MLB record by signing Gerrit Cole on a nine-year, $324 million contract in December 2019. Cole’s contract has a $36,000,000 annual salary, the largest Annual Average Value (AAV) for an MLB pitcher with a contract length of more than seven years.
If the Yankees hope to sign Skubal, they will likely need to prepare an offer eclipsing Cole’s contract as ESPN projected a contract around eight years and $355 million for the two-time Cy Young winner.
The projected deal will set the record for the highest guaranteed money and the highest AAV for a pitcher in MLB history. Max Scherzer’s three-year, $130 million deal with the New York Mets set the highest pitcher AAV at $43.3 million in 2021.
Apart from the Dodgers and Yankees, the New York Mets are also expected to pursue Skubal in his free agency. The Mets, who have missed the postseason in the last two years, could pay a record sum for a second time in two years after their MLB-record $765 million deal for Juan Soto.
Also Read:
10 Managers Yankees Could Hire For 2027 If They Fire Aaron Boone
10 Huge Calls Yankees Need To Make In Offseason After Disappointing ALDS Exit in 2026
Edited by Chaitanya Prakash
