With the signings of outfielder Kyle Tucker and pitcher Edwin Diaz, the Los Angeles Dodgers have already put together a massive offseason. The back-to-back defending champs are widely considered the favorites again next season.
However, the Dodgers have not shown that they’re ever content with what they have. For weeks, the team has been linked to a possible trade for Detroit Tigers star pitcher Tarik Skubal.
The back-to-back Cy Young winner wants a contract, but the Tigers are playing hardball. This has led to rumors that he could get traded. The Dodgers are one of the teams that have the assets and the money to give the Tigers and Skubal what they want.
Even though the rumors of a Dodgers trade have cooled down, The Athletic’s Jim Bowden believes that Skubal will be traded before Opening Day.
“Detroit would still like to sign him to a long-term contract but it’s difficult to see that happening with how far apart both sides are on a deal,” Bowden wrote. “The Tigers have listened to trade offers and at least talked about the “ballpark” parameters it would take to trade him. According to club sources, the asking price is so significant that it is unlikely a trade happens unless Detroit lowers its sights significantly.”
Skubal Might Want to Test Free Agency
The Tigers don’t want to move on from Skubal. He’s arguably the best pitcher in the world right now and is still in his 20s.
Instead of trading him, the Tigers could hold onto him in hopes of convincing him to sign. Bowden believes that would be the best-case scenario for Skubal.
“I’ve also been told by some rival executives that they think it makes more sense to wait until Skubal is a free agent rather than emptying their farm system for just one year of his services,” Bowden wrote. “At this point, Detroit could trade him now, or wait until the trade deadline when the return would be less, or do what the Angels did with Shohei Ohtani and wait until he leaves in free agency and get just draft pick compensation for him.”
This could be ideal for the Dodgers, as they’d likely be able to outbid most teams for Skubal and wouldn’t have to give up anything in a trade in the process.
Tigers Can’t Let Skubal Walk for Nothing
While the Tigers don’t seem eager to trade Skubal, letting him walk in free agency for nothing would be a disaster. He could bring Detroit a massive haul in a trade.
The Tigers are going to need to make a decision soon, which is why Bowden still believes that Skubal’s future is elsewhere.
“It will be interesting to see what happens, but I can tell you if I were Detroit, I would try to do everything I could to sign him to a contract extension and if I couldn’t do it by a certain date in March, I would trade him for the biggest return I could get rather than risk losing him for little compensation later,” Bowden wrote.
Dodgers Get New Word on Tarik Skubal Amid Tigers Trade Rumors