Let’s be real about something. The Los Angeles Dodgers are trying to win a third straight World Series, but their rotation is held together with duct tape and hope right now. And that hope is almost entirely resting on whether Shohei Ohtani can actually pitch this season.
Ohtani’s arm is still a question mark. Nobody knows for sure if he’ll be on the mound in October. And if he’s not, the Dodgers are looking at a rotation that’s basically Yoshinobu Yamamoto and a bunch of maybes. That’s not exactly a three-peat formula.
Enter Tarik Skubal. The Detroit Tigers ace has been the subject of trade rumors for months, and according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, there’s a real belief that Skubal would like to land in Los Angeles. Nightengale laid it out pretty bluntly. He wrote that the Dodgers have nightmares about Skubal pairing up with Jacob Misiorowski in Milwaukee, or becoming the missing piece for the Chicago Cubs, or making the Tampa Bay Rays terrifying. His suggestion? Give up a starting pitcher and a couple of outfield prospects, get Skubal, and win another ring while everyone else fumes.
What happens if Ohtani can’t pitch
This is the real issue. The Dodgers have Yamamoto, who was outstanding in last year’s postseason and earned World Series MVP honors. But counting on him to replicate that over a full season plus another playoff run is a lot. Behind him, you’ve got Roki Sasaki, who’s talented but unproven over a long MLB grind. Then there’s Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, both of whom are hoping to stay healthy. That’s not a guarantee for either of them. Justin Wrobleski is in the mix too, but he’s not exactly a proven playoff starter.
That’s a lot of ifs for a team with championship expectations.
The competition for Skubal is real
The Dodgers aren’t the only ones watching Detroit’s phone line. The Brewers and Cubs are both in the National League and would love to add Skubal. The Phillies have also reportedly kicked the tires. With the trade deadline just days away, Tigers general manager Scott Harris is going to get some serious offers.
What makes Skubal so valuable is that he’s not just a rental. He’s under team control through 2026, which means any team trading for him gets two playoff runs out of the deal. That’s huge for a team like the Dodgers that wants to win now but also keep the window open.
Detroit will ask for a premium package. Probably young pitching and high-end outfield prospects. The Dodgers have both. The question is whether they’re willing to pay the price.
Nightengale’s column made one thing clear: Skubal in a Dodgers uniform is the kind of move that makes everyone else in the NL groan. And with Ohtani’s health uncertain, Los Angeles might not have a better option.
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