The 2025 MLB offseason only just ended, yet it's still easy to look ahead to the 2026 offseason, mostly because of who will be headlining the free agency class. Tarik Skubal, the best pitcher on the planet, is a near lock to enter the open market and shatter previous records set by starting pitchers.
The latest MLB rumors cover how the Detroit Tigers blew their chance of preventing Skubal from testing free agency, what another high-end upcoming free agent, Freddy Peralta, is looking for in a contract, and much more.
Tigers didn't offer Tarik Skubal a reasonable extension
- The Tigers haven't offered Tarik Skubal a recent extension.
- Skubal doesn't expect to negotiate during the season.
The Tigers extending Skubal has never been realistic, given Skubal's agent, Scott Boras, is known for pushing his clients to free agency, but you can never sign a player if you don't try. Skubal revealed that the Tigers didn't make him a single long-term offer this offseason and didn't even try to extend him after the southpaw filed for arbitration.
“There is no offer," Skubal tells USA TODAY Sports, “and there won't be an offer until the end of the season….My focus is on playing baseball and winning this year. I’ll deal with the contract stuff at the end of the year, and then we'll kind of see. And that’s fine. It’s their decision."
I don't know how Tigers fans can look at this news and be anything but concerned regarding Skubal's long-term status with the organization. It was never seen as particularly likely that the Tigers would've convinced him to forgo the ability to test free agency and have big market teams enter a bidding war for his services, but again, how do you know if you don't try?
If the Tigers were unwilling to even entertain the thought of paying Skubal now, how can anyone choose to believe they'll win a bidding war with the likes of the Dodgers, Yankees and Mets in the mix? It's clear that Skubal is not interested in taking any sort of hometown discount to stay with Detroit based on how he's acted this entire process.
It's one thing for the Tigers to offer a massive $200+ million extension and force the southpaw to reject an offer. It's another thing for the Tigers to not make a single offer. Their lack of effort not only ruined the chance of an extension being signed, but makes it feel as if Skubal's days in Detroit are numbered.
Freddy Peralta looking for seven or eight-year extension with Mets
- Freddy Peralta is eyeing a seven-to-eight year contract with the Mets or another suitor
- Peralta said he is comfortable with the Mets, which is a good sign for the front office.
In dire need of an ace to lead their starting rotation, the New York Mets made one of the biggest trades of the offseason, acquiring Freddy Peralta from the Milwaukee Brewers. Peralta is a perfect fit in Queens for every reason except his contract. The right-hander is in his final season of club control, meaning he, like Skubal, can test free agency after the year.
This reality is something the Mets would conceivably like to avoid, and unlike Skubal, Peralta seems willing to sign an extension with New York if his asking price is met. That asking price is fairly steep, though.
Freddy Peralta tells @JonHeyman that he'd like a contract extension for "seven or eight" years as he approaches the final season of his current deal.
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) March 7, 2026
Peralta: "I’m really comfortable here. I’m not going to lie. I’d love to be here. And I’d love to stay a long time." pic.twitter.com/MMit5ypWy9
This asking price makes a lot of sense, especially when considering Dylan Cease just signed a seven-year, $210 million deal as a free agent. Cease has more upside than Peralta, but also has a much lower floor, as evidenced by his ERA sitting at 4.50 or higher in two of the last three seasons. Peralta might not ever be a Cy Young finalist like Cease has been, but he's been consistently reliable both in terms of durability and productivity.
A question worth asking is whether David Stearns will be willing to give Peralta the kind of deal he desires. That's a tough question to answer. Contrary to popular belief, Stearns has displayed a willingness to sign starters to massive long-term deals, but the circumstances in which he'd be willing to do that are fairly rare. He reserves those kinds of offers for the Yoshinobu Yamamotos of the world. I'm not sure Peralta fits into that boat.
Might Peralta be willing to compromise at, say, a four or five-year deal? He did say how comfortable he was in New York. That could be the difference between the right-hander knowing he'll spend the next several years in New York or whether he'd be testing free agency. Regardless, it's good for the Mets to know that an extension is possible and what might get a deal done.
Twins tried to trade for Blue Jays pitcher Trey Yesavage
- The Blue Jays traded for Twins RHP Louis Varland.
- That trade nearly cost them Trey Yesavage
Desperate for bullpen help, the Toronto Blue Jays heavily pursued former Minnesota Twins right-hander Louis Varland for three months, according to Bobby Nightengale of the Minnesota Star Tribune ($). Varland, given his dominance and several years of club control, wasn't going to come cheap, though. The Twins held firm on their asking price of either Trey Yesavage or Kendry Rojas, two of Toronto's top pitching prospects at the time, headlining the deal. The Jays said both pitchers were off-limits, so no deal was made.
"When the Blue Jays first broached the topic of a Varland trade, the Twins pushed for either Trey Yesavage or Rojas to be included, multiple sources told the Minnesota Star Tribune. For three months, Toronto insisted both pitchers were off limits," Nightengale wrote.
Eventually, the Jays relented on including Rojas, and the rest is history. Rojas and outfielder Alan Roden went to Minnesota for Varland and Ty France, and while Rojas has a ton of upside and Roden could earn a starting role too, the Jays have to like how they made out in this deal.
Not only was Varland a key piece for Toronto in the bullpen in the postseason, appearing in nearly every playoff game the Jays played, but keeping Yesavage could prove to be a franchise-altering decision. Yesavage, despite having just three regular-season starts under his belt, displayed ace upside in the postseason and was one of their most important players all the way to Game 7 of the World Series. At just 22 years old, the sky is the limit for this right-hander.
The Jays could have easily included Yesavage in this deal and come to regret it. Getting Varland while keeping their top pitching prospect has already proven to be a big win for Toronto, and could lead to even greater rewards.
More MLB news and analysis: