Dodgers Match Up 'Perfectly' With Tigers in Blockbuster Tarik Skubal Trade
The Los Angeles Dodgers continue to be directly involved in the trade rumors around Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, with the MLB trade deadline coming up in less than two months.
The Dodgers don't necessarily need another starting pitcher, but injuries could force their hand this summer. The Dodgers are currently down Blake Snell (elbow) and Tyler Glasnow (back) for the foreseeable future, and this could prompt the front office to get into the Skubal sweepstakes.
Skubal is widely regarded as the best pitcher in baseball, but he will be a free agent after the 2026 season. This could have some teams wary of making a blockbuster trade for him, but the Dodgers are expected to chase him in the offseason anyway.
But the big question around everything with Skubal is whether the Dodgers should make the deal happen.
The Dodgers' front office is going to weigh the pros and cons here, but typically, if the team wants a player, they have shown over the last few years that they are willing to do whatever it takes to land them.
According to MLB insider Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Dodgers match up "perfectly" with the needs of the Tigers in a potential Skubal trade.
"Paying a premium price for a short-term contract goes against how they prefer to operate, but the Dodgers have built such a good farm system - and one that, heavy on controllable arms and dynamic outfielders, matches up perfectly with Detroit's needs - that it makes too much sense for them not to be involved in the discussions," Passan wrote.
The Dodgers are one of the few teams around baseball who could make a competitive offer for Skubal, while still not giving away too much for a possible rental. The organization has a few MLB-ready pitching options (Emmet Sheehan or Justin Wrobleski) that they can send to Detroit, and Los Angeles could load up on a couple of prospects if that is what the Tigers prefer.
Losing either Sheehan or Wrobleski would hurt the team's depth, but having the chance to add Skubal is well worth it. The Dodgers would likely gain an advantage in free agency since the left-hander will have been in the organization already to see how his life could be.
One other factor in the Skubal sweepstakes is the impending lockout this offseason. Due to the CBA expiring and an expected lockout coming over a salary cap debate, we could see the Dodgers break away from the normal path at the trade deadline to make another splash move.
The Dodgers are trying to go for a three-peat this year, and having someone as talented as Skubal on the roster would give them a stronger chance to win. Overall, Skubal to the Dodgers seems to have some real legs to it, but whether president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman pulls the trigger remains a different story.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/dodgers/onsi as Dodgers Match Up 'Perfectly' With Tigers in Blockbuster Tarik Skubal Trade.
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This story was originally published June 8, 2026 at 9:00 PM.