This article was generated by artificial intelligence and is automatically updated as news breaks. All credit belongs to the original reporters and their publications.

The Dodgers are expected to pursue a trade for Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, and they could be the “most viable suitor” in the sweepstakes, per Ken Rosenthal at Sports Illustrated. This tracks with the growing buzz we’ve been hearing around this name for the past few days — Jeff Passan recently guessed the Dodgers would land Skubal, and now Rosenthal is adding significant weight to that possibility from his end. The framing here matters: this isn’t just “the Dodgers are interested.” It’s that they may be the team best positioned to actually get a deal done.

Skubal has established himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball. The left-hander won the American League Cy Young Award in 2024 after posting a 2.39 ERA with 228 strikeouts over 192 innings for Detroit, a breakout that cemented him as a true frontline starter. He missed significant time earlier in his career after undergoing flexor tendon surgery in 2022, but he came back stronger, developing an elite four-pitch mix anchored by a devastating slider and a fastball that plays up thanks to elite extension and spin characteristics. He’s under team control through 2026, which makes him a pure rental — and that actually works in the Dodgers’ favor. Rental acquisitions cost less in prospect capital than controllable arms, and the Dodgers have the payroll flexibility and championship window to justify going all-in on a half-season of Skubal.

The “most viable suitor” language from Rosenthal suggests a few things. First, the Dodgers have the prospect depth to meet Detroit’s asking price. The farm system has been restocked in recent years, and the front office has shown a willingness to part with high-end talent when the return is a difference-maker (think Mookie Betts, think Yu Darvish years ago). Second, the Dodgers’ pitching need is acute. With Shohei Ohtani shut down from pitching due to a right biceps issue on top of his ongoing knee concerns, and Tyler Glasnow still working his way back through rehab, the rotation has real holes. Emmet Sheehan and Justin Wrobleski have gotten opportunities but the results have been uneven — Wrobleski just got roughed up for four homers against Seattle.

Adding Skubal to a rotation that still features Yoshinobu Yamamoto and a (hopefully) returning Glasnow would give the Dodgers a legitimately fearsome top three for October. That’s the calculus here. Andrew Friedman and the front office have talked about taking an “opportunistic mindset” into the deadline, and Skubal is exactly the kind of opportunity you don’t let pass. He’s not a complementary piece — he’s a potential Game 1 starter in the postseason.

I’ll say this plainly: if the Dodgers can get Skubal without gutting the core of the farm, they should do it. The window with Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman is right now. Pitching is the one area where we’re genuinely vulnerable, and Skubal is arguably the best arm available on the trade market. The price will be steep — Detroit isn’t going to give away a Cy Young winner — but this is the kind of move that separates contenders from champions. We’ll see how the next couple of days play out, but the signals are pointing in an encouraging direction.

Source(s): Ken Rosenthal (Sports Illustrated) | First reported: July 29, 2026 5:30 PM UTC

God Bless and Go Dodgers