The Dodgers are staring at the same question every contender faces at the deadline, only with a far more dangerous answer attached: how far are they willing to push?
Los Angeles has the kind of farm system that can pry loose almost anyone on the market, and that kind of prospect capital usually invites a swing for the fences. If the goal is to become the first National League team ever to win three straight titles, the temptation to go all-in is obvious.
But the Dodgers have never been the type to throw away value just to say they did something. Andrew Friedman has made that part of the franchise’s DNA, calling deadline deals like “paying 150 cents, 200 cents on the dollar.” And with this roster, they could stand pat and still enter the stretch run as World Series favorites.
So what happens before Monday’s 3 p.m. PT deadline? The expectation here is that Los Angeles won’t land the biggest name on the board, but it also won’t sit quietly.
Tarik Skubal is the headline name everyone will talk about, but the Dodgers are not the landing spot. The reigning back-to-back Cy Young winner hasn’t even been made available yet by the Tigers, and Detroit has every reason to hesitate. The Tigers are 52-58, but they’re only 3.5 games out of the final American League wild-card spot, which makes Skubal both a trade chip and their best shot at winning a postseason series.
If Skubal does get moved, the Dodgers are expected to stay out of the bidding. He’s set to reach free agency in a few months, and Los Angeles doesn’t want to empty the system for a rental.
A team like the Brewers or Rays could be the one willing to pay that price. Skubal may still end up in Dodger Stadium soon enough, just not in a trade - perhaps in a couple of months after signing one of the richest pitching contracts in MLB history.
Instead, the Dodgers are projected to turn to a different kind of arm: Clay Holmes. The Mets right-hander is recovering from a fractured fibula and has already begun a rehab assignment, and the Dodgers were among the clubs scouting him. Before the injury, Holmes delivered a 2.39 ERA in nine starts across 52.2 innings, and his profile is especially appealing because of what he was before becoming a starter.
From 2021 to 2024 with the Yankees, Holmes logged 220 relief appearances, posted a 2.69 ERA, struck out 238 and made two All-Star teams. That background gives Los Angeles flexibility now and later.
He could step into the rotation immediately and help the club preserve its six-man setup over the final two months. Then in October, if Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow are all healthy, Holmes could slide back into the bullpen as a multi-inning weapon.
There’s also a contractual wrinkle. Holmes has a $12 million player option for next season, but if he finishes strong in Los Angeles, he could choose free agency instead. The Dodgers wouldn’t be bothered by that if he gives them what they need now.
The roster shuffle won’t stop there, either. The Dodgers have too many outfielders and not enough spots, both in the majors and in the system.
At the big league level, Kyle Tucker, Andy Pages and Teoscar Hernández are joined by Alex Call, Tommy Edman and Kiké Hernández. In the minors, MLB Pipeline lists 12 outfielders in the Dodgers’ top 30 prospects, and Landyn Vidourek has already been dealt to the Rockies.
That crowding means movement. Call is expected to be traded and has drawn interest from at least three teams.
Ryan Ward, 28, is also expected to move. At least one more outfielder could go, and possibly more, with a Holmes deal a natural place for that kind of piece to be included.
The only names believed to be staying put are Josue De Paula, Mike Sirota and Eduardo Quintero.
Eric Lauer is another player whose time in Los Angeles may be nearing its end, despite how well he’s pitched. Since coming over from the Blue Jays in mid-May, the left-hander is 5-0 with a 2.96 ERA, and the Dodgers are 9-0 in his outings.
Even so, with free agency coming in a couple months and the postseason picture potentially squeezing him out, he likely won’t have a spot if everyone is healthy. That makes him a candidate to be moved for a prospect or two, with Holmes effectively taking his place in the rotation.
If that happens, Lauer leaves with the kind of résumé contenders appreciate: steady innings, useful wins, and a real chance to get a ring if the Dodgers finish the job.
In Other News...
Former Tiger Jake Rogers Lands In A Deadline Twist Fans Will Feel
Jake Rogers deadline day turned into a whirlwind, and for Tigers fans, it was a reminder of how fast baseball can move. After spending several seasons in Detroit, the catcher was dealt to the Baltimore Orioles and then quickly flipped to the Boston Red Sox in the same sequence of moves tied to a larger deal centered on Adley Rutschman.
Now Rogers lands in a situation where his role could be far more immediate than anyone expected when the day began. With Rutschman currently on the injured list, the former Tiger is in position to help Boston right away, giving his new club a short-term answer while leaving Detroit followers to track one more familiar name in a very different setting. [Read more 🡒]
Casey Mize Just Became A Tougher Tigers Deadline Call
The pitching market keeps narrowing, and that matters for the Tigers as the deadline approaches. Toronto just added starter Jos Soriano from the Angels in a deal that sent shortstop prospect Arjun Nimmala, outfielder Eddie Micheletti and right-hander Angel Rivero back the other way, another notable move after the Blue Jays had already dealt Kevin Gausman to the Cubs. For Detroit, every starting arm coming off the board changes the backdrop around a roster that is still trying to decide how aggressive it wants to be.
Casey Mize sits right in the middle of that conversation. There has been speculation that the Tigers could move the right-hander, and interest around him has been building as clubs hunt for rotation help. With one more name gone and the supply shrinking, Detroits choice gets tougher by the day: hold onto a pitcher it still values, or see whether the market gets strong enough to justify listening. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Suddenly Have One Deadline Need They Can't Ignore
Casey Mizes name is back in the rumor mill at the exact moment the Tigers are trying to keep their division lead steady, and now his next start has been scratched as a precaution. The timing only adds to the sense that Detroit could be weighing a bigger-picture decision with a pitcher who is nearing free agency, even if the Tigers would prefer the focus stay on the pennant race rather than the deadline.
Houston has emerged as one of the clubs watching closely because of its rotation injuries, and that need is hard to miss with the deadline approaching. For the Tigers, the question is whether holding onto Mize for a run at October is worth more than the kind of prospect package a contending club might be willing to put on the table, which is exactly the sort of call front offices hate making when the standings say one thing and the long view says another. [Read more 🡒]