MLB rumors: Tarik Skubal's market already hot, contenders eyeing Japanese slugger Teruaki Sato

The 2026-27 MLB offseason is a bit more than a week old and already the hot stove moves and rumors are coming in. We've ranked the top 50 free agents and top 25 trade candidates, and built you a calendar of the important offseason dates and deadlines you need to know. Here now are Friday's hot stove happenings.

Skubal's market already hot

The market for two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, far and away the offseason's best free agent, is already hot, according to the New York Post. Skubal 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. Talks are underway, however, and his market is moving.

Skubal is expected to sign a record contract at least in total value, and possibly in average annual value. Yoshinobu Yamamoto's $325 million deal with the Dodgers is the largest pitching contract ever given out. Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander's matching $43.3 million salaries with the Mets years ago set the record for the average annual value for a pitcher.

Several teams linked to Sato

The Dodgers, Mets, Padres, Phillies, and Yankees are among the teams linked to Japanese slugger Teruaki Sato, reports the New York Post. Unless MLB and the MLBPA unexpectedly avoid a lockout, Sato must sign before the collective bargaining agreement expires at 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 1. Otherwise, he will return to the Hanshin Tigers for 2027.

We ranked Sato as the fourth-best free agent available this offseason, and the best available position player. He has significant power but also swing-and-miss and defensive concerns at third base, similar to Munetaka Murakami a year ago. Murakami slugged 35 home runs in only 127 games as a rookie this season, providing proof of concept for Sato.

Nationals lock up Jacob Young

The Nationals have signed center fielder Jacob Young to a four-year extension, reports FanSided. The deal is worth $23 million and includes an $8 million club option for a fifth year. The extension buys out Young's three arbitration years and one free agent year, with a club option for a second free agent year. He's now under Washington's control through 2031.

Young, 27, has always been a superlative defender. He unlocked a new level on offense this season, particularly in the second half, when he hit .301 with a .385 on-base percentage. Young had been speculated as a trade candidate since last offseason, but the new extension locks him in as part of Washington's long-term core.

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