The MLB offseason continues chugging along, and Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal remains untraded. The back-to-back Cy Young Award winner is on an expiring contract, and instead of paying him, the Tigers are expected to trade him for a haul.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have emerged as one of the favorites to land him, as they could afford to sign Skubal to a new contract and could put together a very appealing trade offer. Recently, pitcher Tyler Glasnow was rumored to possibly be included in a trade offer for Skubal.
However, he revealed that the Dodgers have informed him that he won’t be dealt, and also expressed excitement about the idea of playing with the superstar pitcher.
“I obviously have seen the Skubal stuff, and I think that seems to be relatively real. I’ve also seen some rumors that I would get traded for him, so I don’t know what to believe,” Glasnow said on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM. “I’ve talked to Andrew [Friedman] and our front office. They told me I’m not going to get traded, and I trust them, so that’s obviously a nice feeling.
“But I think it’d be sick if we went out and got him [Skubal]. He’s probably one of the most unbelievable pitchers I’ve ever seen, and I’ve just heard such good things about him, too. …He’d be a perfect fit; just to pitch along with him in the rotation would be kind of a dream. So I hope we get that done.”
Dodgers Have to Be Cautious of Skubal Trade
The only reason not to trade for Skubal is his contract. He can be a free agent after the 2026 season.
The Tigers aren’t going to trade him unless they get an impressive haul in return. Brian Murphy of MLB.com listed this as the biggest con regarding potentially trading for Skubal.
“It’s expected that any Skubal suitor will have to pony up a haul of players for his services and even then, there is no guarantee that his next team will have him for more than one year,” Murphy wrote. “The sensational southpaw is represented by Scott Boras, who typically likes for his clients to reach the open market. Thus, teams interested in Skubal have to ask themselves if it’s worth possibly mortgaging their future for 30-35 starts from Skubal — and one postseason run — before he bolts in free agency.”
Should Dodgers Be Willing to Trade Glasnow?
Glasnow was the Dodgers’ second-best pitcher in the World Series and is an All-Star-level player. He’s not as good as Skubal, but he’d have to be an appealing piece for the Tigers.
If the Dodgers could swap Glasnow for Skubal, they’d do that in a heartbeat. However, it’s going to take more than that. The Tigers like Emmett Sheehan, but trading him and Glasnow for Skubal might be too steep a price.
It appears that Sheehan would be the more likely player to get sent to Detroit if a trade happens, but the Dodgers are going to have to add more players to sweeten the pot. Keeping Glasnow while also adding Skubal would give the Ddogers an otherworldly rotation of starting pitchers.
Dodgers’ Tyler Glasnow Has Strong Words for Tarik Skubal Amid Trade Rumors