With the MLB trade deadline only days away, the Dodgers are already being linked to one of the biggest names on the market, and ESPN’s Jeff Passan says Los Angeles sits at the front of the line for Tarik Skubal.
Passan said on SportsCenter, "Yeah, Tarik Skubal is going to be traded," before naming the teams drawing the most attention. "Teams that are being cited as the biggest threats, though, the Milwaukee Brewers, who have a tremendous farm system, and of course the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are the favorites at this point, and frankly have been since the possibility of Tarik Skubal getting traded for his service a couple months ago."
The Dodgers’ interest makes sense based on where their roster stands. Catching depth could help, and an offensive upgrade is at least on the table, but the rotation is the area that needs the most attention with Shohei Ohtani a question mark this season. That’s where Skubal comes in.
The Tigers left-hander is one of the most coveted arms available, and the Dodgers are being treated as the most likely landing spot. The Milwaukee Brewers remain a major threat, and the Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs and Tampa Bay Rays are also expected to surface in trade chatter, but Los Angeles is viewed as the favorite.
Skubal is in the final year of club control, which makes him a rental, though not a cheap one. He’s the kind of player who would command a massive return, but he’s also the kind of pitcher who could move the needle for a team chasing a title.
That’s why the Dodgers are being framed as a natural fit. They have the kind of ambition and depth to chase a deal of this size, and Skubal’s 2.79 ERA this season only adds to the appeal. He would give them a major boost for the stretch run and, more importantly, for October.
The rotation picture also explains the urgency. Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow are working back from injury, and with Ohtani still uncertain, adding another proven starter would give Los Angeles another layer of security.
For now, the expectation is that Detroit will move Skubal before the August 3 deadline. He could still wind up elsewhere, but based on Passan’s update, the Dodgers are the team sitting in the best position to land him.
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Phillies Deadline Tension Just Spilled Into A Bryce Harper Conflict
Tarik Skubals name keeps surfacing in the run-up to Mondays trade deadline, and for Detroit that alone makes every start feel heavier than the last. The left-hander has drawn interest from contenders, with the Dodgers among the clubs watching closely as they weigh pitching depth and the uncertainty around Shohei Ohtanis ability to take the ball.
The deadline pressure is not just about the Tigers, either. Philadelphia is dealing with its own internal tension as it looks for roster upgrades, and that kind of urgency can spill into all sorts of conversations across the market. For Detroit, the bigger question is whether the noise around Skubal turns into something concrete before the deadline clock runs out. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Suddenly Hold The Deadline Decision Fans Have Waited On
Tarik Skubals latest turn in the rotation was a reminder that the Tigers are still living in the middle of a deadline decision, not the aftermath of one. Detroit has a real fork in the road with the trade deadline approaching, weighing whether to add help for a postseason push or listen on valuable arms that could reshape the roster in a hurry.
Skubal is far from the only name in the conversation, either, with Casey Mize, Kenley Jansen and Jack Flaherty all part of the same larger question about what direction the Tigers want to take. For now, the fact that Skubal is still taking the ball suggests the front office has not made its final call, and that uncertainty alone is enough to keep the rest of the league watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Urged To Pay A Massive Price For Tarik Skubal
Tarik Skubal keeps surfacing as the kind of deadline name that can alter a contenders entire summer, and Milwaukee has been floated as a club that should be aggressive if Detroit decides to listen. The appeal is obvious from the Brewers side: a front-line starter would instantly deepen a rotation that has been viewed as the teams biggest October question, and Skubal would give them the sort of impact arm that changes how a postseason series is managed.
For Detroit, any serious conversation would have to start with real talent coming back, which is why the prospect side of the equation matters so much. The Tigers are not in a position to move a pitcher of Skubals caliber lightly, and even if they entertain offers before the deadline, they would still have to weigh whether another club can beat the best package on the table or whether keeping him remains the smarter play. [Read more 🡒]