The 2026-27 MLB offseason is barely a week old, but the hot stove is already burning. Two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal headlines a premium free-agent class, Japanese slugger Teruaki Sato is drawing interest from multiple contenders, and the Washington Nationals have locked up center fielder Jacob Young long-term.
Skubal's market already hot
According to the New York Post, the market for Skubal — far and away the offseason's best free agent — is moving quickly. The left-hander is expected to sign in November, before the collective bargaining agreement expires at 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 1, though a deal is not imminent. Skubal is projected to command a record contract, potentially surpassing Yoshinobu Yamamoto's $325 million total value with the Dodgers and the $43.3 million average annual value set by Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander.
Several teams linked to Sato
The Dodgers, Mets, Padres, Phillies, and Yankees are among the clubs linked to Japanese third baseman Teruaki Sato, per the New York Post. Unless MLB and the MLBPA avoid a lockout, Sato must sign before the CBA expires on Dec. 1 or he will return to the Hanshin Tigers for the 2027 season. Ranked as the fourth-best free agent available and the top position player, Sato offers significant power but carries swing-and-miss and defensive concerns at third base, drawing comparisons to Munetaka Murakami, who slugged 35 home runs in 127 games as a rookie this season.
Nationals lock up Jacob Young
Washington has signed center fielder Jacob Young to a four-year, $23 million extension with an $8 million club option for a fifth year, according to FanSided. The deal buys out Young's three arbitration years and one free-agent year, keeping him under team control through 2031. The 27-year-old has always been an elite defender and unlocked a new offensive level in the second half of 2026, hitting .301 with a .385 on-base percentage. Once viewed as a trade candidate, Young is now entrenched as part of the Nationals' long-term core.
