Former MLB Pitcher suggests Blue Jays will be a major player for Tarik Skubal

This upcoming offseason is going to be the "Winter of Tarik Skubal". The two-time Cy Young winner is far and away the best player set to reach free agency, and ESPN's Jeff Passan has already suggested that his next contract is going to blow away the previous record for a pitcher; the expectation is that the deal could exceed $500 million over 10 years.

That is, without question, an exorbitant price to pay for someone whose best days are almost assuredly behind him. Skubal is still fantastic, having pitched to a 2.50 FIP between the Dodgers and Tigers this year, but he'll be 30-years-old by the time he pitches for his next team (assuming the Dodgers even let him go).

The eternal "Is he worth it?" question will be asked time and time again about Skubal this offseason, even though only a handful of teams will be able to afford him on either side of the impending lockout. The Toronto Blue Jays, of course, are one of those teams, though there hasn't been many rumors connecting the two parties.

Until now.

Blue Jays will need to seriously consider hefty cost in their pursuit of Tarik Skubal

Because the Blue Jays sold at the trade deadline, we'll never know if they were willing to pay the massive price the Tigers were demanding for the southpaw. They did give up Arjun Nimmala for José Soriano, though those situations were totally different; Skubal is a rental, while Soriano is under team control through 2028.

Still, by trading for Soriano, the Jays made it clear that they intend to upgrade their rotation in the years to come. They do have Soriano, Dylan Cease, Trey Yesavage, and a bevy of notable prospects to build around, but there's no way they can turn down a chance at Skubal if the price is right.

Dallas Braden of the Baseball Is Dead podcast isn't an "insider," but he is a former pitcher with tons of connections throughout the league. If he's commenting on Skubal's market, it's at least fair to consider what he has to say. And, truth be told, what he is suggesting isn't all that outrageous; the Blue Jays went all-in on Cease just one year ago, even though he was a 30-year-old coming off a tough season. It's safe to say that decision is paying off handsomely thus far.

Investing more than double what they gave Cease in Skubal is probably too tall an order, but the impending lockout could limit the left-hander's price tag to a more reasonable level. If that happens, maybe a bidding war with the Dodgers isn't out of the question.

If nothing else, we know that the Blue Jays love to go big-fish hunting during free agency, and there's not going to be anything bigger in the pond than Skubal.

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