While this doesn't mean the Los Angeles Dodgers are going to acquire Tarik Skubal at the trade deadline, there's been a ton of talk surrounding where the Detroit Tigers ace will end up.

After pitching in likely his final game for the Tigers, Skubal was stuck staring down another dreadful defeat for a team no one expected to be selling him at the deadline.

With the calendar about to flip to August, it could be organizational malpractice if the Tigers decide to keep Skubal.

His value has never been higher, and even though he's only a rental, USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale recently revealed that Skubal's post-2026 destination preference has already been revealed.

The Milwaukee Brewers are extremely in on conversations surrounding Skubal at the deadline, but even if Dodgers fans can't have him this season, they might not be stuck waiting too long.

Of course, everything is pending there's even a 2027 MLB season, but that's a discussion for another time.

"The Dodgers could grab Skubal, knowing that they are considered his first preference, anyway, when he becomes a free agent," Nightengale wrote.

It's a bit too early to look that far into the future, but there is a silver lining if the Dodgers wouldn't be able to cut a deal with Detroit at the deadline, for whatever reason.

LA has no shortage of prized prospects that the Tigers could be interested in, and the Dodgers can even sweeten up the deal by throwing in a big league pitcher like Eric Lauer. The possibilities feel endless, and there aren't many other teams out there who can afford to lose as much as the Dodgers can for a three-month rental. Obviously though, especially after this report, the Dodgers have their eyes set on much more than just that.

Trade value-wise, Detroit knows they can't squeeze anything else out of Skubal. He's peaked, at least as much as a rental can with the trade deadline being less than a week away.

Even though he's only appeared in 16 games this season, Skubal once again sports a stellar 3.1 WAR. It's nearly impossible to measure what he can bring to a team's starting rotation, and the payday he's going to receive after this season is over could easily break records.

Skubal seems to have Dodgers written all over him, and now there's even more of a reason to believe that with Nightengale saying that's where he wants to play once this season comes to an end.

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