The Los Angeles Dodgers have been one of Major League Baseball’s best teams over the past several years. They have won back-to-back World Series titles, so it is no secret that they are a juggernaut. But they are likely going to be one of baseball’s busiest teams at the trade deadline.
They are not satisfied with just two consecutive World Series titles, and are going to be chasing upgrades to enhance their chances at making another deep October run. They are looking to become the first team to three-peat since the New York Yankees did it from 1998-2000.
They have a lot of issues with their starting rotation, but that’s nothing a blockbuster trade or two can’t fix. Bradford Doolittle of ESPN listed one thing that all 30 MLB teams need to do before the August 3 trade deadline, and for the Dodgers, it was essentially seen as a given that they will acquire back-to-back American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.
“There is very little difference between where the Dodgers are now and where they were a season ago,” Doolittle wrote. “They again have a long and star-studded injured list. They again have a few stalwarts falling short of forecasts. And despite all that, they still are in the mix for MLB’s best record and run differential. It’s all about getting as close to whole as possible by the time October arrives. That said, the Dodgers can play spoiler in the trade market, as much to hinder other contenders as to help themselves. Sure, Tarik Skubal, to cite one keen example, might not be necessary to the Dodgers’ three-peat hopes. But if they have Skubal and no one else does, their probabilities grow only stronger.”
Dodgers Well-Positioned to Acquire Tarik Skubal
The Dodgers are already in a great position to add a piece like Skubal at the trade deadline. The Detroit Tigers are going to be asking for a lot of top prospects in exchange for the left-hander.
Skubal is on the injured list after having elbow surgery to remove bone chips, but he looked strong in his first rehab start and seems to be progressing towards a return. The Dodgers are fortunate that they have a lot of top prospects in their system that could be used to get a trade done, and that would put them in a great position to do some damage down the stretch and again in the postseason.
Dodgers Could All but Guarantee Another Championship
If the Dodgers make this move, then it is going to be even harder for other teams to stop them from pulling off another three-peat. They have a strong team already, but having Skubal in the rotation with Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani, as well as Blake Snell when he returns from the injured list would give the Dodgers a big advantage as they shoot for yet another championship.
It will be interesting to see where things stand at the deadline and what the Dodgers are ultimately able to accomplish with Skubal.
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