The Padres have clawed their way back into the picture, but the Dodgers may be lining up a move that would slam the door right back on them.
Five straight wins have lifted San Diego to 55-53 and nudged the club back into the crowded NL Wild Card race. At the same time, Los Angeles is reportedly exploring a run at Tarik Skubal, a move that would only deepen the gap between the two teams.
According to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, the Dodgers’ interest in Skubal has picked up because of uncertainty around Shohei Ohtani’s ability to pitch. Morosi also said Detroit is unlikely to get outfielder Josue De Paula as the centerpiece of any prospect package.
“The Dodgers’ interest in Tarik Skubal has increased due to questions surrounding Shohei Ohtani’s availability to pitch, as I reported on @MLBNetwork earlier.
Yet it is unlikely the Tigers could obtain OF prospect Josue De Paula as the headliner in a multi-player package.”
That’s the part that makes this so brutal for everyone else in the National League. The Dodgers might be able to chase the best arm on the market without giving up their best prospect. In other words, they could strengthen an already stacked roster for October and still keep one of baseball’s most valuable young players.
De Paula is no ordinary chip, either. MLB Pipeline has him ranked as the No. 4 prospect in baseball. For a rebuilding club, that’s the kind of player who usually has to be included when an ace of Skubal’s caliber is on the table.
The Padres know that cost better than most. Last year, they sent Leo De Vries to the Athletics as the centerpiece of the Mason Miller deal. De Vries is now MLB Pipeline’s No. 2 overall prospect.
Miller has been excellent, but he also came with controllable years, which is a big difference. Even so, the Dodgers have the financial muscle, major-league talent and prospect depth to make a serious run at Skubal. That’s what makes the idea of Los Angeles landing him so unsettling.
Ohtani’s pitching situation is the trigger here. The Dodgers have scaled back his workload because of lingering knee trouble, even after he went 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA across 85 2/3 innings. His next start is still unclear, and with a huge division lead, there’s no reason for them to push him.
That leaves Los Angeles with a possible opening, and Skubal would be the kind of answer that turns a concern into a weapon.
For San Diego, the path is much messier. The club is still trying to piece together a second-half push with an injured rotation, an inconsistent offense and the hope that another A.J.
Preller deadline move can help carry it into October. The best-case scenario depends on a lot of things going right: Pivetta coming back healthy, Musgrove following him, the offense staying hot, the current rotation holding up and Preller finding affordable help before the deadline.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers’ contingency plan could start with Tarik Skubal.
That’s the reckoning here. San Diego is trying to survive long enough to matter.
Los Angeles is trying to get even better. And if the Dodgers land Skubal, the pressure on Preller to answer will only grow.
The Padres are 13 games behind the Dodgers, so the division race is no longer the point. Their season now revolves around getting into the Wild Card field and becoming dangerous once they’re there. A Skubal trade to Los Angeles would make that road a lot steeper.
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