The Los Angeles Dodgers still have high expectations for the 2026 season. They are coming off of back-to-back World Series titles and still likely are the team to beat entering the season.
They can never be counted out when big name players become available in trade talks or in free agency. They are hungry to win each year and will stop at nothing in order to make it happen.
Mike Axisa of CBS Sports listed several early trade candidates, and the Dodgers were one of three teams along with the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays to be named as fits for reigning American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.
“Do I think it’s likely the Tigers stumble so badly the first four months of the season that they seriously consider trading Skubal at the deadline? No, I don’t. Is it possible? Absolutely,” Axisa wrote.
“A middling offense and untimely pitching injuries could push the Tigers out of the race and put Skubal on the block. Even as a rental with an enormous salary (he would still be owed about $10 million at the trade deadline), the bidding war for Skubal would be fierce.”
Los Angeles Dodgers could be a fit for Tarik Skubal
Skubal won his second consecutive Cy Young award last season after winning 13 games and posting a 6.5 WAR with a 2.21 ERA and 241 strikeouts over 31 starts and 195 1/3 innings pitched.
The Dodgers can simply never be counted out of the sweepstakes for a big-name player, and if the Tigers do fall out of postseason contention by the trade deadline, then it only makes sense for them to trade him and capitalize on his value while they still can.
Even as a rental, he’ll command quite a haul. Fortunately for the Dodgers, they have an incredibly deep farm system and would likely be able to meet the Tigers’ asking price, which is going to be very high if they do trade him.
But even if Detroit isn’t out of contention, it’s not a stretch to assume that the Dodgers will still come calling. They still are hungry to win another title and continue to cement themselves as a baseball dynasty.
What it would mean for the Dodgers
This would only add fuel to the fire and make the Dodgers even stronger than they already are. They would easily be the favorites to win the World Series for a third straight year if they were to make this potential deal happen.
The Dodgers have become baseball’s ultimate villain with all the moves they have made and all of the success they’ve had. Taking them down as they currently stand is going to be hard enough, but it will be even harder if Skubal ends up wearing Dodgers threads by the end of the season and into the playoffs.
The Dodgers have a lot to look forward to in 2026, and while a Skubal trade may seem unlikely, the baseball world shouldn’t be surprised if the Dodgers pull off a stunner and land the Cy Young winner.
Dodgers Predicted to Bid Against 2 Rivals If Tigers Trade Tarik Skubal