The Tarik Skubal sweepstakes are getting louder, and the Los Angeles Dodgers have been the team drawing the most heat. That comes with the territory anytime the Dodgers are linked to a top trade chip, and Skubal is shaping up to be the biggest name on the board at the deadline.
But the Dodgers may not be the only club with a real shot. A trade now looks increasingly likely after Skubal appeared to make his last start in a Detroit Tigers uniform on Wednesday, and the Tigers are not expected to re-sign him this winter. That makes a deal the most logical route, even if it’s not the cleanest one.
Skubal won’t come cheap. Any team that lands him will have to pay in prospects and dollars, and the short-term nature of the move only adds another layer to the conversation. Even if the trade is made for the stretch run and postseason, the next question will be whether a team can also lock him up long term.
For Los Angeles, the case is obvious enough. Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Shohei Ohtani are still unknowns because of health issues, and Skubal would improve any rotation in baseball. The Dodgers also have the prospect capital to get a deal done without needing him to agree to a long-term contract first.
Still, that doesn’t make this a foregone conclusion. The Atlanta Braves deserve a seat at the table.
Atlanta is chasing in the National League and trying to keep pace with the Philadelphia Phillies, but it remains very much in the World Series picture. Adding Skubal would change the whole look of that staff, especially alongside Chris Sale. That pairing would give the Braves a front-of-the-rotation combination that would be a nightmare for opponents.
The Braves also have the prospect capital to make it happen, and they are one of the few teams that could both trade for Skubal and make a real run at keeping him beyond this season. That’s why the Dodgers may have company here, and serious company at that.
In Other News...
Braves Face A Painful Decision On Three Familiar Names
The Braves have reached the part of the season where even familiar names can land in trade conversations, and Sean Murphy is one of the more intriguing cases. His defense still gives Atlanta real value behind the plate, and while his contract makes him a logical name to monitor, the club also has little incentive to move him when his market value is not exactly at its peak. Murphy is also getting closer to a return, which only adds to the sense that this is less about a clean break and more about a difficult balancing act.
Ha-Seong Kim and Spencer Strider make the picture even messier, though in very different ways. Kims situation is tied to his rehab work and the roster crunch that comes with it, while any deal involving him would likely be about clearing money more than bringing back a meaningful return. Strider, meanwhile, sits in a far more complicated spot because of his contract and injury uncertainty, which makes him a tough player to move unless Atlanta is willing to absorb a painful amount of the cost. [Read more 🡒]
Braves May Be Near A Tough Austin Riley Decision
Austin Rileys recent stretch has only sharpened the questions around how much the Braves can keep leaning on him as the season wears on. The offense has been quiet enough to notice, with multiple hitless games and a pile of strikeouts, and the Orioles series offered little relief when the underlying numbers landed well below his usual standard. For a player whose bat has long been the carrying tool, that kind of dip naturally puts a spotlight on every other part of his game.
The defense at third base has not done him many favors in the bigger picture, either, with his career work there grading out as marginal or worse by Statcasts OAA-based measure outside of a tiny debut-year sample. So even as Atlanta weighs what comes next, the discussion is no longer just about whether Riley will snap out of it at the plate. It is also about how the Braves balance patience, production and the realities of a long season with a player whose value has become harder to define in the moment. [Read more 🡒]
Braves May Have Finally Found The Rotation Arm Fans Wanted
The Braves are still working through a rotation picture complicated by injuries, and the trade deadline is giving them a chance to look beyond internal fixes. One name that has surfaced in that search is a Mets right-hander who is coming off a rehab appearance and drawing attention as New York leans toward selling, which naturally puts Atlanta in the market for a starter who can help right away.
For the Braves, the appeal is obvious: they need innings, stability and another arm they can trust in a stretched rotation. There are other pitching possibilities in the mix, but this one stands out because the timing lines up with where both clubs are headed, and the contract situation only adds to the sense that a move could come together before the deadline if the price and fit make sense. [Read more 🡒]