The Dodgers keep hovering over every big name that pops up before the Aug. 3 trade deadline, and Tarik Skubal is no exception.
Los Angeles has the kind of roster and the kind of trade assets that make it a natural fit in any star chase. Still, the current read is that the club is leaning more toward getting healthy than swinging for a blockbuster. That matters here, because the Dodgers have spent much of the year without key arms Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell in the rotation.
Even with that context, the idea of Skubal in Dodger blue has been floating around for a while. If there’s a team that can make that kind of move happen, it’s the Dodgers. The pushback is simple enough: adding another All-Star to a roster that already looks loaded is the sort of move that gets people talking.
At the All-Star Game this week, Giants starter Logan Webb was asked about the possibility, and he didn’t sound shocked by the idea.
“I don’t think they need him,” Webb said, “but you never count those guys out on getting anybody in the league.”
Webb has been facing the Dodgers since 2019, so he’s watched this thing build from the other dugout. He knows exactly what happens if Los Angeles lands another frontline arm: the margin gets even thinner for everybody else.
That’s been the Dodgers’ calling card for years now. If they decide they want someone, they usually have the pieces and the willingness to get it done.
Padres closer Mason Miller was asked the same question, and he took a more measured view of the fit.
“He’d help any team he went to. They’ve got a strong rotation, a lot of guys that are going to get healthy and help them out, but I don’t necessarily consider it overkill," Miller said. "Anybody, on any given night.”
That last part is the part baseball never lets you forget. The sport has a way of flattening even the deepest rosters, and the Dodgers have lived through that reality before.
In 2022, they won 111 games and still fell in the NLDS. In 2023, they won 100 and again didn’t get out of the NLDS.
So while the Skubal speculation is real, the actual move still feels unlikely for now. But with the Dodgers, that kind of certainty never lasts long. When a superstar is on the table, they’re always in the conversation.
In Other News...
Giants Linked To Trade Idea That Would Cost Two Trusted Pieces
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For the Giants, the appeal is obvious because the pitching target is the kind of arm that can change a rotation conversation, but the cost is not small when both outgoing players are controlled for years to come. Schmitt has given the club useful infield flexibility and Miller has become a reliable bullpen option, which is why this kind of idea lands with some force even before any real negotiations begin. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Suddenly Have Trade Deadline Leverage Fans Did Not Expect
The trade market can change fast when a contender loses certainty in center field, and the Yankees are suddenly in that position. Aaron Judge is still on the injured list with a rib fracture, has not resumed baseball activities and now faces a return timeline that could drift deeper into the summer, which has New York weighing whether it needs outside help before the deadline.
That kind of urgency matters for the Giants because they have more than one outfield piece that could draw attention if the right deal comes along. Jung Hoo Lee, Heliot Ramos and Harrison Bader all give San Francisco different options in a market where a rivals injury situation can create leverage, and the next few days could tell a lot about how aggressively clubs are willing to chase outfield insurance. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Injury Picture Just Got More Concerning Than Fans Feared
The Giants injury list has become a familiar backdrop this season, but the latest update is a reminder of just how much of the roster is still in various stages of repair. Matt Chapman is working back from an abdominal strain and is aiming for a return during the next homestand, while Harrison Bader is moving through baseball activities as he pushes toward a second-half comeback from left plantar fasciitis. Around them, the club is juggling a long line of pitchers at different points in recovery, including several who are still months or more away from helping in San Francisco.
It is the kind of medical map that forces a team to think in layers, not just weeks. Matt Gage is coming off a PRP injection for a left elbow strain, Jose Butto is continuing his throwing progression after right arm surgery, and Hayden Birdsong, Randy Rodriguez and Rowan Wick all sit on longer-term timelines that stretch well beyond the current push. Even with Chapman and Bader offering some hope for the near future, the overall picture is still one of uncertainty, and the Giants are left waiting to see which reinforcements arrive soon enough to matter. [Read more 🡒]