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SF Giants have one minor advantage over Dodgers when it comes to Tarik Skubal

There's no place like home.
ByNick San Miguel
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Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) looks on before game four against the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) looks on before game four against the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Los Angeles Dodgers have been eliminated from the playoffs which is always good news for the SF Giants. Now the biggest question for LA becomes whether they will bring back left-handed ace Tarik Skubal who is going to be the top free agent on the market.

The assumption is that the Dodgers probably will sign him since they sign basically all of the good free agents with their seemingly infinite wealth which potentially could be due to nefarious business practices from owner Mark Walter. Lockout, anyone?

But I digress. The Dodgers are obviously the favorite for Skubal, but the Giants cannot be counted out entirely because they have one minor advantage over LA and every other MLB team: they’re the closest to where Skubal grew up.

The 29-year-old two-time Cy Young Award winner was born in Hayward, California. He grew up an Oakland A’s fan which makes sense for a native of the East Bay, but if any part of him is nostalgic for the Bay Area and he wants to come home then the Giants are the only game in town with the A’s headed to Las Vegas.

It’s not a major advantage by any stretch. Odds are Skubal cares a lot more about how much money teams are offering or whether he will be joining a contender or not, but sometimes a return home can be a really big motivating factor for players in free agency.

Giants may not be willing to spend enough to land Tarik Skubal

The question is really whether the Giants would be willing to offer Skubal the amount of money it is likely to take to lure him back to the Bay Area. History says no since Giants chairman Greg Johnson has been very blunt in recent years about how the team is not keen on paying top dollar for the biggest free agent starters. Maybe the 2026 season will force him to change his tune on that, but we will have to hold our breath on that one. 

It’s going to be hard for the Giants to compete with teams that have a lot of money and are ready to contend right now. Even if the Giants offered Skubal the most money he might have reservations about joining a team that only won 65 games this season.

Giants fans already know it’s probably best to not get our hopes up when it comes to a big fish like Skubal, but maybe a return to the Bay Area could convince him to shock everyone and sign with San Francisco. 

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