LAS VEGAS — Someone's going to come up triple-sevens in the Tarik Skubal sweepstakes.

And it's likely going to be soon, with several teams eagerly lining up to take their spin on that slot machine.

Skubal is the biggest story of the Major League Baseball offseason, at least on the free-agent front. He's set to command the largest contract ever given to a pitcher, possibly in excess of $400 million. And Skubal's high-powered — and limerick-happy — agent Scott Boras blew through this week's general managers meetings in Sin City, selling Skubal as the ace of spades, the card poker analyst Norman Chad calls the prettiest one in the deck.

"It's very clear that there is a dominant and strong Sku-Bull market," Boras, who loves giving a pun almost as he loves taking a percentage, told reporters in his crowded scrum at the general managers meetings Wednesday, Nov. 11, at Aria. “Teams are not devoid of pursuing their championship fortunes and they understand there’s only one Tarik card."

At least four teams already have reportedly set up meetings with Skubal and/or Boras in the coming days, and they're among the usual suspects: the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays. No surprise, those are four of the highest payrolls in the game. There are expected to be additional suitors, though, for the two-time American League Cy Young winner, the former Tiger who is expected to shatter Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto's $325 million contract, the record for a pitcher.

And there is a time crunch, with baseball heading toward a lockout when the Collective Bargaining Agreement expires at 11:59 p.m. Dec. 1. This week at the GM meetings, it was clear there is a sense of urgency on the part of players and executives to get deals done before a lockout, at which point all contract negotiations must cease.

Boras didn't put a timeframe on getting a Skubal deal to get done, but it would seem very likely to happen in the next three weeks, before the lockout, given there is uncertainty of what teams' financial pictures will look like under a new CBA. Owners want a salary cap, players do not, and both sides are settling in for the highest-stakes card game.

Until those cards fly, though, Skubal is the ace in the hole — and somebody's going to be Nick Papagiorgio, and everybody else is going to be Clark Griswold. Here's a look at the top contenders to win the Skubal jackpot:

New York Mets

They have the biggest payroll in the game, and an owner in Steve Cohen who is a diehard fan ... and a gazillionaire. He's determined to bring a World Series back to Queens, and doesn't seem to care about the consequences of spending huge. Two offseasons ago, he gave Juan Soto the largest contract in baseball history, a 15-year deal worth at least $765 million. Cohen bought the Mets in late 2020 from University of Michigan alum Fred Wilpon, and has 4X'd the payroll since then, from less than $100 million (in 2020, the COVID year) to nearly $350 million today. And there doesn't appear to be any ceiling or luxury tax he's unwilling to pay to bring the Mets their first title since 1986.

Los Angeles Dodgers

They seem to be everyone's favorite, because they're the Dodgers, and they seem to get what they want. Just like they got Skubal at the trade deadline from the Tigers in a blockbuster trade that sent three prospects (Zyhir Hope, River Ryan and Brady Smith) to Detroit for the left-hander. Skubal was 5-2 with a 2.62 ERA in 10 regular-season starts for the Dodgers, and good in a pair of playoff starts. You could say the Dodgers have more than enough starting pitching, but there are questions about how much Shohei Ohtani will pitch in 2027, after injuries limited him on the mound (but not at the plate) in 2026. One snag, TBD, could be the insurance fraud federal investigation into owner Mark Walter.

San Diego Padres

The Padres settled for the Tigers' second-best available starting pitcher at the trade deadline, acquiring Casey Mize for a pair of pitchers (including prospect Kash Mayfield). That didn't go well for San Diego, as Mize was largely ineffective in 10 starts. He wasn't healthy, either. The Padres seem to be zeroing in on the bigger fish this winter, and unlike the rival Dodgers, the Padres desperately need starting pitching. Two of their top starters from 2026, Michael King and Walker Buehler, are free agents, as is Robbie Ray, a former Cy Young and another Tiger who was acquired at the trade deadline. The Padres are one of just four franchises left without a World Series title, after the Milwaukee Brewers' win.

Toronto Blue Jays

Until the United States places tariffs on stud left-handed pitchers, Toronto figures to be in play. The team isn't averse to mega contracts, having signed slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a $500 million deal in April 2025. The Blue Jays also aren't afraid of chasing the proverbial white whale. Remember, in 2023, they made a spirited push for Ohtani, before he eventually signed with the Dodgers for $700 million (in one of those buy-now, pay-later deferred-money deals that also are among owners' biggest bugaboos). Just because I was curious, regarding taxes, Canada's tax rate in Skubal's bracket (33%) is slightly lower than the USAs (37%), while Ontario's (13.16%) is high, comparable to California's (13.3%).

Detroit Tigers

I have never really thought the Tigers would factor much into the Skubal market. Then again, I never thought I'd see two horses board a Detroit city bus, either. And, so, here we are. For what's worth, Tigers president Scott Harris wouldn't talk about a possible reunion with Skubal when he met with reporters at this week's GM meetings, citing his long-standing (and in this case, very convenient) policty of not talking publicly about free agents. He did say: "You know how we feel about the guy. But that's about as far as I can go." The Tigers are exploring starting pitching, and they can absolutely afford Skubal. But if they wanted to sign him, wouldn't they have tried harder before trading him?

Other teams to watch

When it come to a player of Skubal's stature — and salary demands — it's awfully hard to rule out the big-market big spenders like the Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees. The Seattle Mariners could be one dark horse to keep tabs on, too.

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