Dodgers Tarik Skubal chances remain unclear as free agent meeting looms

LAS VEGAS  — The Dodgers have been in contact with Tarik Skubal’s representatives already this winter.They expect to meet with him “at some point” soon, according to general manager Brandon Gomes.How their pursuit of the two-time Cy Young Award winner will unfold after that, however, remains unclear.As MLB’s offseason slowly kicks into gear, the industry is still waiting to see exactly how aggressively the league’s biggest-spending franchise will go after the sport’s biggest free-agent prize.On Tuesday, at least, Skubal’s free agency was the biggest topic of conversation as Gomes met with reporters during the annual General Managers’ Meetings at the Aria Resort and Casino.The Dodgers executive said all the expected things: About how much they enjoyed having Skubal after his arrival at the trade deadline this year, about how highly they think of him coming off a fourth straight season in which he posted a sub-3.00 ERA, and about how much he could bolster their chances of recapturing a World Series title in 2027.But Gomes also stopped short of guaranteeing an all-out effort to re-sign the 30-year-old left-hander, noting that “you kind of have to let things play out to understand what [his free agency] looks like, and if it’s something that we’re gonna ultimately execute.”Entering the winter, the Dodgers were seen as consensus co-favorites (along with the Mets) in the Skubal sweepstakes, especially after the way he quickly assimilated with the club following his blockbuster trade to Los Angeles in August.However, there has been a growing sense more recently that the Dodgers might be wary of breaking the bank for the All-Star ace  — or, at the least, giving him the kind of long-term, potential $400 million guarantee that he has been widely projected to receive — and could instead prefer something shorter-term amid the backdrop of an uncertain CBA negotiation and possible implementation of a salary cap.Gomes did little to dispel that noti...