Tarik Skubal has become the loudest name on the market as the trade deadline approaches, but the Dodgers don’t look like they’re charging toward Detroit just yet.
That’s the read from Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times, who reported that with a week left before the MLB trade deadline on Aug. 3, Los Angeles does not appear to be moving toward a deal for Skubal. That stands in contrast to the way rival executives are viewing things, with many expecting the Dodgers to go all-in and chase the Tigers’ ace as they try to become the first team in National League history to win three straight World Series titles.
The appeal is obvious. Skubal would help any club, and he’s arguably the top pitcher in MLB.
But the Dodgers are not approaching the deadline like a team with a glaring hole. Their expectation is to head into October with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow in the rotation.
That group is loaded, even if there’s a catch: all of those pitchers except Yamamoto are currently injured. Still, the Dodgers believe they’ll have them back by October. They also have Justin Wrobleski available if needed, and Roki Sasaki has reportedly made positive strides and appears to be trending up.
The price for Skubal is another reason Los Angeles may be staying patient. The Tigers are believed to be asking for a young starting pitcher and high-end prospects, which is a steep ask for a team that is already the World Series favorite even without him. Skubal would raise the ceiling, but the Dodgers may not see that cost as worth it, especially with the unpredictability of the MLB playoffs.
That could change quickly if there’s any setback with one of their pitchers over the next week. For now, though, the Dodgers seem more interested in shaping the rest of their roster around depth and future value.
They could even end up as sellers in some areas. Alex Call and Eric Lauer are both names on the trade block, and Los Angeles could use those situations to address other clubs’ needs for starting pitching and right-handed bats.
The Dodgers are also open to adding catching depth while Will Smith is on the injured list, though they don’t view that as a major problem with Dalton Rushing handling the everyday role. On top of that, they’d like to move at least one of their highly regarded outfield prospects in order to strengthen other parts of the farm system, including the infield or starting pitching.
In Other News...
Dodgers Suddenly Have A Justin Wrobleski Problem They Didn't Want
Justin Wrobleski keeps giving the Dodgers reasons to keep leaning on him, even as they try to be careful with his arm. The left-hander worked deep into a start against the Phillies, limiting them to one run and five hits while pushing his season record to 11-2, another reminder that he has become far more than a spot solution in a year when Los Angeles expected to manage him carefully.
The problem now is the kind every contender would like to have, but not always in September. Wrobleski has already piled up 106.2 innings over 17 games and is on track to blow past his previous career high, which puts the Dodgers in the familiar tension between protecting a young pitcher and needing every useful out they can get. He says he trusts the organization to handle the workload, and his comfort with that plan only adds to the question of how long they can keep threading the needle. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Just Got A New Deadline Clue At Catcher
The Tigers made a roster move Thursday that could ripple beyond Detroit, activating Javier Baez from the 60-day injured list and clearing space by designating catcher Jake Rogers for assignment. Rogers has built his reputation on defense, but his role has been reduced this season, and his availability comes at a time when clubs around the league are sorting through catching needs before the trade deadline.
For the Dodgers, the timing is notable because they have been navigating depth concerns behind the plate with Will Smith sidelined. Rogers is now one of the names to watch as teams look for help at catcher, and his market could be active quickly with several clubs in the same hunt. The next step will be whether Los Angeles decides to stay in that conversation as the deadline picture sharpens. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Deadline Picture Just Got More Complicated Than Fans Expected
The Dodgers deadline outlook is starting to look a lot different than the usual July noise around a contender. Instead of shopping for help, they are now expected to be sellers at the Aug. 3 deadline, a shift that could put their focus on restocking the farm system while they wait on several key pieces to come back into the mix.
Kik Hernndez is due back Tuesday, Edwin Daz on Wednesday, and Blake Snell is also trending toward a return after his rehab work. Shohei Ohtani remains in the lineup even while he is not pitching, with Dave Roberts saying his hitting and running are not compromising his health, which only adds to the sense that the Dodgers are trying to balance immediate needs with a bigger-picture deadline plan. [Read more 🡒]