The MLB trade rumor wheel continues to spin. With the Los Angeles Dodgers drawing eyeballs across the league involving Tarik Skubal. The Detroit Tigers star has until Sunday in learning if he’ll stay or go.
Skubal remains at the top of literally every team’s wish list for a pitching boost. The two-time Cy Young Winner brings a decorated resume to the hill. He’s floated as a prominent idea for LA and manager Dave Roberts. More so amid Shohei Ohtani dealing with knee irritation and Blake Snell still attempting his comeback.
But at some point reality sets in. Including the Dodgers potentially pivoting to a contingency plan.
One MLB analyst floated this bold idea on July 31: Dodgers landing a past Southern California phenom to boost the pitching room in the event Skubal doesn’t come to LA.
Current MLB Star Rose to Prominence in Dodgers Backyard
So if it’s not Skubal, who can the Dodgers potentially gravitate towards?
This past prep phenom who played in the Dodgers’ backyard earned mention from Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report: Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hunter Greene.
“Greene hasn’t made much of a dent on the 2026 season, but what matters is that he ran a 160 ERA+ across the 2024 and 2025 seasons. And even if his fastball is down a tick this year, we’re still talking an average of 98.4 miles per hour,” Rymer said.
Greene is a renown name in Southern California. The right-hander rose to stardom out of Notre Dame High in Sherman Oaks. He even graced the cover of Sports Illustrated Magazine in May 2017 featuring the question “Baseball’s LeBron [James] or the new Babe [Ruth]?” SI also anointed him as “the star baseball needs.”
There will be a hefty asking price, though.
What Asking Price Could Cost Dodgers Here
Landing Greene won’t come easy, even for a franchise known for pulling off bold moves.
Rymer believes that multiple top-100 prospects, including a top-25 one, is what LA and other teams must send to get Greene.
“Especially given the affordability of his contract, the Reds are absolutely not going to sell low on Greene,” Rymer said. “That means he can’t be had unless a contender is going to value him as a No. 1 starter and, accordingly, take a pretty big risk.”
The latter is especially big, as Greene wouldn’t be the No. 1 in LA. Not inside a room that features World Series Most Valuable Player Yoshinobu Yamamoto, plus will soon lure back Snell. Then there’s Roki Sasaki, who’s been on the rise.
However, landing Greene puts the 26-year-old Los Angeles native on a contender for the first time in his career. And earns him a chance to chase his first ring while back in his hometown.
Who Else Could Consider Greene
The team that attempts to take a swing at Greene must take on his massive six-year, $53 million deal (Greene is in year four of the contract). Plus his contract features a 2029 club option.
The Tampa Bay Rays rise as another possibility, which places Greene on the American League East leader. Even the Chicago White Sox earned mentioned as a possible Greene destination. Chicago leads its own division in the AL Central.
But no doubt Greene can boost ticket revenue and draw a large home following if the Dodgers pull off the stunning deal.
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