The Los Angeles Dodgers appear well on their way to continuing their National League West dominance in 2026. They enter play on May 27 with a 35-20 record, with only the Atlanta Braves (37-18) boasting a better record in the NL.
However, there is one Achilles heel that could prevent them from completing their bid for a three-peat. That would be the health of their starting rotation, as they are down two starts in late May. Tyler Glasnow is dealing with a back issue, and Blake Snell is recovering from the new NanoNeedle procedure to clear up loose bodies in his left elbow.
Zachary Reimer of Bleacher Report published a piece highlighting potential trade packages for two-time American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. With the Detroit Tigers falling apart in Skubal’s absence, they are looking more like sellers at the deadline.
That’s exactly where the Dodgers could swoop in and land one of the top pitchers in baseball to create a super rotation.
Dodgers Latest Trade Proposal Adds Tarik Skubal for 2 Prospects
Reimer’s proposal has the Dodgers trading Zhyir Hope and Emil Morales for Skubal. Hope and Morales rank as the No. 2 and No. 5 prospects in Los Angeles’ system on MLB Pipeline. Both are in their Top 100 list, with Hope at No. 20 and Morales at No. 57.
Here was Reimer’s justification of the deal.
“Shohei Ohtani is chasing the NL Cy Young Award, but Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell are hurt and even Yoshinobu Yamamoto has looked human. Otherwise, Roki Sasaki and Emmet Sheehan have been unreliable.
“Trading for Skubal to bring order to the chaos is another overkill situation, but it just feels like something the Dodgers would do. Then there’s also the reality that they could because they can.”
That last sentence sums up the advantage the Dodgers, who have more than enough financial and prospect capital to execute such a trade, have at the deadline. They have seven players on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 list and deep pockets, they can acquire anyone they so choose.
Beyond giving up two Top 100 prospects, the club would add at least $22.6 million in total spending in a Skubal deal. Every additional dollar they spend on payroll is taxed at a 112% rate. But with a payroll already north of $400 million, it feels like a drop in the bucket, and paying the necessary cost to win a championship.
While the Dodgers have enough depth to get through the season, especially after River Ryan finishes ramping up, this trade has postseason in mind. The standard in Los Angeles is World Series championships every season, and they’ll spare no expense with it.
Why the Dodgers Would Target Tarik Skubal
The Dodgers have already invested a lot of resources into this roster. It makes no sense for them to take any half measures at this point. A Skubal trade would signal to the rest of baseball that they’re the team to beat, if being the reigning back-to-back champion wasn’t enough.
In the National League standings, the Dodgers are two games back of the 37-18 Braves and have already lost a home series to Atlanta. They also have to deal with the Milwaukee Brewers, who have stormed out in the NL Central, but the Dodgers won a road series. With how tight the standings are for potential seeding, every game matters.
The biggest obstacle for the Dodgers is their six-man rotation. However, a trade will already disrupt a pitcher’s routine. The question the Dodgers face is whether they can keep Skubal on schedule while maintaining that six-man rotation.
Another benefit is that the Dodgers would have an exclusive negotiating window to try to retain the left-hander. Given that Skubal will miss time in a contract year, a short-term contract that shatters the highest AAV for a pitcher makes sense. Although they’d also be happy to offer a long-term deal, given how much they’ve already shelled out for their rotation.
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