Given the way they’ve operated in recent years, it’s normal to link the Los Angeles Dodgers to every big name available in the market.
And, with Shohei Ohtani’s knee injury and the uncertainty about his return to the mound, some fans wondered whether they would be in on Tarik Skubal.
Skubal has been tied to trade rumors dating back to the offseason, and the Dodgers are among the few teams with the financial leeway to meet his salary demands.
However, it looks like president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman won’t sell the farm to get the Tigers star, according to The Athletic’s Katie Woo.
The Dodgers won’t go all-in for Tarik Skubal
“Ohtani’s uncertainty hasn’t provided extra incentive to push for Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, who will be the top player available this deadline — should the Tigers (who sit just 4.5 games out of a playoff spot in the meek American League) decide to make him available,” Woo wrote.
Of course, the Dodgers will stay active in their pursuit of talent, but they won’t make any big splashes unless the right opportunity emerges.
They’ll look to get better on the margins, but they’re also looking to add more firepower and talent to their minor-league system and, per Woo, potentially moving on from some of their outfield prospects.
The Dodgers expect Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow to be back to full strength for the playoffs, so there’s no need to give up valuable assets when help is on the way anyway.
As for Skubal, there’s a world where the Tigers choose to stay put and keep him beyond the Aug. 3 trade deadline, as they’re inching closer to postseason contention and may need their ace on the mound for the final stretch of the season.
