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The Los Angeles Dodgers are dealing with significant pitching injuries. The club has been open about their desire to add an “impact-type arm” at the deadline, according to Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes. A trade proposal from Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer brings Tark Skubal from the Detroit Tigers to Los Angeles in a four-player deal.
MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand noted the Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles as teams that would try and acquire Skubal who is “one of the frontrunners in the American League Cy Young race.”
Rymer proposed this player swap that makes Skubal a Dodger:
- Dodgers receive: left-handed pitcher Tarik Skubal
- Tigers receive: right-handed pitcher Bobby Miller, outfielder Josue De Paula and catcher/first baseman Dalton Rushing
“Including Miller in a swap for Skubal might seem a little like robbing Peter to pay Paul, but it would fit with the theme of this deal: present ability for future upside. Miller is two years younger than Skubal and under club control through 2028,” wrote Rymer.
The Dodgers are “eyeing big names to fill their biggest needs,” according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Skubal would fit that criteria.
Dodgers Proposed Trade Package for Skubal
Miller was optioned to Triple-A on July 10 after a rough stretch of starts. He allowed 26 earned runs, 17 walks and 33 hits in his last six big league starts. He pitched just 23 innings and struck out 16 in that span. However, Miller had success as a rookie in 2023 with a 3.76 ERA in 22 starts. The Tigers would likely want a young major league player along with prospects in any trade for Skubal.
Going to Detroit along with Miller would be Rushing and De Paula. Rushing, the club’s No. 1 prospect, does not have a clear path to the big leagues. The Dodgers signed Will Smith to a 10-year, $140 million extension in March. With Smith locked up long-term and Freddie Freeman occupying first base, Rushing’s path to the big leagues is blocked.
De Paula is the No. 2 prospect in the organization. The 19-year-old is still in High-A and is a long way from the majors. The Dodgers have set themselves up to win now with the offseason signings of Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. De Paula could be a valuable trade chip if the Dodgers make a blockbuster deal.
Skubal Would Give the Dodgers Rotation a Boost
“Skubal would be a game-changer for so many teams,” a National League executive said, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. “I’m not sure why the Tigers would trade him, but if they do, they’re going to get a haul in return.”
Skubal is having a phenomenal season. He has an American League-best 2.34 ERA, is tied for the second-most strikeouts in the American League (146) and was named an All-Star for the first time this year.
“His claim to the throne of Best Pitcher in Baseball is strong indeed. Between the 20 starts he’s made in 2024 and the 15 starts he made in 2023, he’s on a 35-start run marked by a league-best 2.52 ERA and 6.9 times as many strikeouts as walks over 203.1 innings,” wrote Rymer. “What’s under the hood looks just as good. It’s especially hard to not be a fan of Skubal’s fastball, which touches 100 mph, and changeup, which comes with a 47.0 whiff rate.”
The Dodgers injured list features many key arms, but they are set to return some players soon. Yamamoto, Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw, Tyler Glasnow and Dustin May are all on the injured list. Not to mention, Ohtani will not pitch this season.
With Kershaw and Glasnow set to return soon, adding Skubal to the mix could instantly fix the Dodgers rotation. The Dodgers have the No. 9 team ERA this season. However, the Dodgers’ 5.41 ERA in July is the worst in MLB. Skubal signed a one-year, $2.6 million contract to avoid arbitration in the offseason. He is arbitration-eligible for the next two seasons, making him more than a rental arm.