What happened: Tarik Skubal, a 29-year-old left-hander, can reach free agency this offseason. Clubs have until Monday at 6 p.m. EDT to complete deals.
Why it matters: His pending free agency limits club control for any buyer. Keeping him would preserve an elite arm for the stretch run but leave little time to extract trade value.
By the numbers: Skubal has 41 strikeouts in 31 innings over his past five starts, posting a 2.03 ERA in that span.
What to watch: Watch whether negotiations produce a deal before Monday's cutoff.