Tarik Skubal's free agency dance puts Dodgers in a position Tigers know all too well

On Thursday night, the mighty Dodgers were swept out of the NLCS by the scrappy Brewers, much to the delight of every baseball fan with even an ounce of enmity for the two-time champions (the majority of baseball fans, at this point).

Tigers fans get to take a particular joy in the loss. Tarik Skubal might not have been able to choose where he was traded, but it was made far more painful for the fact that it was to the Dodgers. He maintained the party line when, after the deal was done, he said, "Anyone could've traded for me."

Skubal made one start in the NLCS and disappointed, going just five innings with two earned runs. LA looked overpowered by Milwaukee at every possible turn. Even in Game 4, the Dodgers got out to a 4-0 lead in the second inning ... but they didn't score again. The Brewers slowly chipped away at the lead before overcoming it in the sixth inning and eventually winning 6-4.

Unsurprisingly, Skubal was asked about his impending free agency as the Dodgers were licking their wounds in the clubhouse. He said, "I'm not going to comment on my future really at all. Today sucks, you know, and that's kind of where my head's at."

Yeah, Tigers fans know that dance all too well.

Tarik Skubal refuses to take questions about his free agency after Dodgers are swept in NLCS

Much of the frustration with Skubal in his last year with the Tigers revolved around his cageyness around his future with the team and his free agency. That's his prerogative as a free agent, and one who will probably make a record-breaking amount of money when he signs, but it was his apparent unwillingness to even come to the table with the Tigers over an extension that really rankled fans.

There was nuance there, like anything else, and the Tigers deserve their fair share of the blame, but Tigers fans know that Skubal isn't going to reveal anything that might hurt his ability to negotiate.

The Dodgers are still widely thought of as the favorites to sign him, for obvious reasons. However, the Mets are preparing to creep in, and might be desperate enough to pay him well beyond even the highly-cited $400 million estimation.

Skubal isn't going to make it easy on them, which is another reason why we're almost certainly not going to see the Tigers involved in the bidding. Good luck, Dodgers (and Mets) fans. You're in for a bumpy ride.

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