The Los Angeles Dodgers may not be dominating the Tarik Skubal rumor mill the way the Yankees or Mets have.
However, a new round of reporting suggests the landscape around the Tigers’ ace is quietly shifting in LA’s favor.
According to Doug McKain of Dodgers Nation, multiple teams that aggressively explored a Skubal trade have run into the same obstacle: Detroit’s asking price.
The Yankees and Mets have both checked in, but neither appears willing to part with the type of elite prospect package Detroit is demanding.
“My understanding from the Yankees and the Mets is the asking price was too high for them,” McKain said on Dodgers Dougout Live.
“They don’t want to give up their top prospects and they don’t want to give up too much on their end.”
McKain added that another contender reached the same conclusion, suggesting the Tigers’ price tag is effectively freezing the market.
That development matters because it narrows the field to teams that can both afford the cost and justify the risk.
Few clubs fit that description better than the Dodgers.
Why Detroit’s Stance Helps the Dodgers
Detroit has shown little urgency to move Skubal.
Jim Bowden of The Athletic recently described the Tigers’ demands as “very significant.”
This reinforces the idea that they are comfortable holding onto their two-time Cy Young winner unless blown away.
That patience has already scared off several suitors, but it does not necessarily eliminate the Dodgers.
As McKain noted, if another team were willing to go all-in at Detroit’s current price, a deal likely would have happened already.
“If there was another team out there that was as all-in for the World Series as the Dodgers are, I think we would’ve seen him get traded this offseason,” McKain said.
He believes the Dodgers have the money as well as the young talent and prospects to make a big move.
There is also an existing relationship between the two front offices.
McKain pointed to the recent Jack Flaherty trade as evidence that Detroit and Los Angeles can line up when the timing is right.
Trade Proposals Keep the Door Open
Trade speculation between the Tigers and Dodgers has continued.
Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer recently proposed a blockbuster framework that included Roki Sasaki and top prospects Zyhir Hope and Jackson Ferris.
He acknowledged how difficult it would be for Los Angeles to justify such a move, especially given how central Sasaki was to the team’s World Series run.
“They don’t need a trade for Skubal,” Rymer wrote.
“But at this point, they seem to be doing things just because they can.”
According to many MLB insiders, Skubal is still expected to open the 2026 season in Detroit.
But as other contenders step back, the latest developments suggest the Dodgers remain one of the few teams capable of stepping forward if the Tigers decide to move their ace.
New Tarik Skubal Development Could Reopen Door for Dodgers Blockbuster