The Los Angeles Dodgers aren’t just building a dynasty-they're steamrolling toward supervillain status, and they’re doing it with swagger.
Fresh off back-to-back World Series titles, the Dodgers already had the rest of Major League Baseball watching with a mix of awe and exasperation. This is a team stacked with elite talent, featuring three former MVPs-one of whom is widely considered the best player on the planet-and anchored by a rotation that’s as dominant as it is deep. Add to that a payroll that makes accountants sweat, and you’ve got a team that’s not just winning, but flexing while doing it.
And just when you thought they might ease up? They doubled down.
On Thursday night, the Dodgers sent shockwaves through the league by signing free-agent outfielder Kyle Tucker to a four-year, $240 million deal. It was bold.
It was brash. And it was classic Dodgers-leveraging their financial muscle and front-office savvy to land one of the premier left-handed bats in the game.
The signing immediately lit up social media and message boards across the country. Fans from coast to coast weren’t just surprised-they were furious.
And that’s exactly how the Dodgers like it.
Because here’s the thing: Los Angeles isn’t just playing within the rules-they’re mastering them. And they’re not apologizing for it.
Andrew Friedman and the front office have turned the Dodgers into a juggernaut by combining deep pockets with sharp baseball minds. They’re not just collecting stars-they’re building a machine.
But there might be one more move left in the chamber. One that would turn the volume up to eleven and cement the Dodgers as the league’s ultimate antagonist.
Enter Tarik Skubal.
If the Dodgers really want to lean into the villain role-and make the Tucker signing look like a warm-up-they could make a play for the Detroit Tigers’ ace. Skubal isn’t just good.
He’s the best pitcher in baseball right now. Back-to-back Cy Young Awards.
A 2.30 ERA over the past two seasons. Nearly 470 strikeouts in under 390 innings.
He’s been nothing short of dominant, and he’s still just entering his prime.
But here’s where it gets interesting: Skubal is heading into a contract year, and his situation in Detroit is… tense, to say the least. He filed for arbitration at $32 million.
The Tigers countered at $19 million. That $13 million gap isn’t just a number-it’s a flashing red light signaling a potential fracture between player and team.
If Detroit loses that arbitration battle, it could put a serious dent in their ability to build around Skubal long-term. And if they’re not ready to commit to him financially, the smart play might be to trade him now-while his value is sky-high.
That’s where the Dodgers come in.
Few teams in baseball can match the Dodgers’ combination of prospect capital and financial flexibility. If Skubal hits the trade market, LA would immediately vault to the front of the line.
They’ve got the chips. They’ve got the need.
And they’ve got the audacity.
A move like this wouldn’t just shake up the 2026 season-it would send shockwaves through the entire sport. Fans are already reeling from the Tucker deal.
If the Dodgers follow it up by acquiring the best pitcher in the game? That’s not just dominance.
That’s empire-building.
And while the rest of the league might grumble, Dodgers fans know exactly what this is: a team going all-in on greatness. They’ve seen the narrative before-that LA is buying championships, that they’re ruining parity, that it’s unfair.
But from their perspective, it’s simple. The Dodgers are using every tool available to them, and they’re doing it better than anyone else.
If a Skubal trade goes down, expect the baseball world to erupt. But don’t expect the Dodgers to blink. They’re not backing down-they’re just getting started.