As the Detroit Tigers weigh a massive deadline decision, the Los Angeles Dodgers emerge as the primary destination for Tarik Skubal.
The Detroit Tigers have fallen off a cliff this season and are nowhere near where they need to be to compete.
A team like the Boston Red Sox proved that winning streaks can happen and things can change in an instant, but the Tigers have a colossal decision to make with star pitcher Tarik Skubal.
Skubal hasn't been his usual self since returning from injury, but he's still one of the most elite pitchers in all of baseball.
Recently, The Athletic's Katie Woo listed tiers for each MLB team as to how much of a chance they have of landing the two-time American League Cy Young Award winner.
To no surprise, the Dodgers were the only team listed in tier one, a tier that is simply titled "the industry favorite."
Woo on why Dodgers are favorites to land Skubal
Everyone knows that Eric Lauer is the odd man out when it comes to the Dodgers' rotation, and it seems like they're willing to move on from him in a heartbeat to bring in the former Triple Crown Winner.
"Few teams have both the prospect capital and the financial security to even consider trading for Skubal. And the Dodgers have made clear that anything less than a third consecutive World Series title this year would be a failure," Woo wrote.
Woo noted that "the industry sees Los Angeles as Skubal's most logical destination."
If there was ever a team to take a chance on a rental like this, it's the Dodgers. LA continues to be in win-now mode, and rightfully so. An upcoming lockout could change everything, so the Dodgers are ready to stop at nothing to win their third straight World Series.
National League executive chimes in
"I assume the Dodgers will land him," an NL executive told Woo.
Looking ahead though, Woo asks the big question: Is there really a need?
As long as everyone stays healthy, Woo believes the Dodgers' four-man postseason rotation of Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, and Tyler Glasnow is more than enough, especially with what they did last year.
She added, "The Dodgers may seem like the obvious favorite, but unless a true need in the rotation appears in the next two weeks, they could very well be one of the least active teams this deadline."
A different NL executive said the Dodgers are "always lurking," so that's certainly something to monitor with the upcoming Skubal sweepstakes.
Join the Community
Don't miss out on our ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news!
It's completely free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!
