Things are trending toward the Detroit Tigers trading Tarik Skubal before the Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline, and if that happens, he will be arguably the best pitcher traded in recent memory.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are considered by many to be the favorites to land Skubal because of their deep farm system, seemingly unlimited budget, and aggressiveness in pursuing star players when they become available.
The Dodgers have downplayed their interest and are said to be more focused on improving their depth and farm system. Still, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman also said the club will always be interested in star players when they become available.
The Tigers are likely moving Skubal because he is set to become a free agent after the season, and they don’t plan on signing him. When Skubal reaches that point, he reportedly prefers to sign with the Dodgers, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today:
Or the Dodgers could grab Skubal, knowing that they are considered his first preference, anyway, when he becomes a free agent.
Skubal’s reported preference doesn’t help the Dodgers in negotiations now regarding a potential trade, but if he truly does want to sign with the Dodgers, that could give L.A. more assurance in pulling off a trade.
The cost will be high for Skubal, but instead of viewing him as mostly a rental, the Dodgers could then work on getting a long-term deal done with the left-hander, which would make the cost a little easier to tolerate.
The Tigers are said to want a young, MLB-caliber starting pitcher plus high-end prospects in return for Skubal. The Dodgers have the pieces that fit both those descriptions and should be able to put together a package that beats any other team if they make landing Skubal a priority.
However, the Dodgers also don’t have a major need for Skubal, and that could deter them in their pursuit. L.A. expects to enter the postseason with a rotation of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow.
Adding Skubal would likely push Glasnow to the bullpen if everyone is healthy, but it also provides insurance in case any of them aren’t able to pitch in October. All of Ohtani, Snell and Glasnow are not currently in the rotation, and health is never a guarantee.
Of course, Skubal’s reported preference could also be his agent, Scott Boras, giving out fake information to drive up the cost when he does reach free agency.
Tarik Skubal trade talks expected to pick up
The Tigers have yet to officially put Skubal on the trade block, but according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, that is expected to happen on Thursday or Friday.
Once the Tigers do that, talks should really start to heat up, and there will be more clarity on a potential trade.
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