Tarik Skubal hasn't even officially hit free agency yet, and it already feels like his eventual landing spot will be limited to one of a small handful of big markets. The Los Angeles Dodgers are the presumptive favorites because they're always the presumptive favorites until proven otherwise, and beyond that, the New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays are pretty much the only teams with 1) need in the rotation and 2) a demonstrated willingness to spend the kind of money Skubal and agent Scott Boras will be demanding. It's tempting to want to just hit the fast forward button.

But what if everybody's assumptions are wrong? What if Skubal wants something other than just a record payday; what if there's another team out there willing to give it to him that we don't see coming? It's still a long shot, but the latest MLB rumors include a potential landing spot for the two-time Cy Young winner that would shock the baseball world — and makes just enough sense to take seriously.

Could the White Sox be players for Tarik Skubal in MLB free agency?

Yes, the White Sox. That comes courtesy of The Athletic's Jim Bowden — admittedly not the most iron-clad of MLB insiders — who listed Chicago as one of his three "best team fits" for Skubal alongside the Dodgers and Mets.

Sure, it sounds ridiculous, and it almost certainly won't happen unless Jerry Reinsdorf has suddenly been imbued with the spirit of George Steinbrenner. But why shouldn't it happen? Their ALDS run this year proved that the White Sox have the foundation in place to contend, provided they bolster a sketchy pitching staff. Skubal would be a perfect fit as the anchor in front of guys like Davis Martin and Sean Burke, and we know he's got ample experience pitching in the AL Central.

The only question, really, is money, which is a ridiculous thing to say about a team that calls Chicago home. The White Sox claim half of one of the biggest media markets in the country, with a criminally underrated fan base starved for a team to invest in after years of misery. If ever there were a time to make a splash, it's now; and if ever there were a player to make a splash on, it's Skubal.

Latest Jazz Chisholm Jr. contract projection is a disaster waiting to happen

Elsewhere in Bowden's free agent rankings, he drops a contract projection for Jazz Chisholm Jr. that's truly eye-popping: six years and $128 million, with an opt out the second year.

This time last year, that would've seemed about right; Chisholm Jr. was coming off a regular season in which he went 30/30 with a 125 wRC+, all while playing strong defense at second base. In a weak position player class, a nine-figure payday was all but assured.

Now, though? After the worst offensive season of his career and a string of baffling mistakes that had the Yankees benching him in the ALDS? That sort of investment would be a massive risk, even given Chisholm Jr.'s obvious physical tools and the fact that he'll be entering his age-29 season in 2027. And if a team does get desperate enough to throw a bag at Chisholm, there's zero chance it would also include an opt out — which would allow him to bail if he bounces back and lock in an underwater contract if he struggles once again. Chisholm doesn't have nearly enough leverage to pull that off, especially after the Bo Bichette and Kyle Tucker disasters this year.

Teruaki Sato's market could be much hotter than anyone expected

If Chisholm isn't the most polarizing free agent in this year's class, Teruaki Sato probably is. On the one hand, the power he displayed in Japan was second only to Munetaka Murakami, and we saw what sort of impact that can have in the Majors. On the other, he also chases and whiffs at an alarming rate, and when you combine that with questions about his defense — most scouts seem skeptical that he can hang at third base at the MLB level, meaning a move to left or even first is in his future — teams could be scared off of giving him a massive long-term deal.

Bowden has no such reservations, though. He looks around at the many big-market teams which need infield help, and at how few other viable options there are for the ones that miss out on Sato, and projects a five-year, $180 million contract. For context, that's even more than Alex Bregman, a World Series champion and three-time All-Star, got from the Chicago Cubs last offseason.

Personally, I'd be shocked if Sato gets anywhere near that overall number or that AAV. There are just too many questions about how his profile will translate, even if the power is tantalizing and he'll turn just 28 years old next March. Then again, if the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox get in a bidding war after missing out on trade targets like Zach Neto, CJ Abrams and Jeremy Peña, who knows what could happen? Sato probably has as much variance as anyone this offseason.