ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports that “the expectation is [Tarik Skubal] will sign before the Dec. 1 lockout.”

This will be the case for many free agents, who will look to lock in multi-year contracts before a new collective bargaining agreement may change the financial landscape of the league. Skubal is likely the number one option on the market, and Passan reports that the Dodgers, Mets, and Cubs are all highly interested in the left-hander, but that the Cubs “are skeptical that they will be willing to compete at the sort of dollars Skubal is expected to get.”