If the Detroit Tigers are really going to trade Tarik Skubal this offseason, it’s going to take a deal that would bring a great deal of value back to the Motor City. With that in mind, would the Los Angeles Dodgers really use one of the current faces of their rotation as the centerpiece of a potential trade?
According to ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez, the Dodgers “would not be opposed to moving” Tyler Glasnow this offseason. It’s a stunning thought in some ways as the 32-year-old right-hander was acquired by the Dodgers at the 2023 trade deadline from the Tampa Bay Rays in a move that would give Los Angeles another top-line starter.
However, with a four-year, $115 million contract set to expire after the 2027 season, Gonzalez hints that Glasnow’s price tag (a combined $60 million over the next two years in addition to either a $30 million club option or a $21.6 million player option in 2028) might even be too much for the Dodgers to stomach.
With that in mind, could the Dodgers dangle Glasnow to the Tigers as a key piece of a trade that would bring Skubal to Chavez Ravine?
Does trading Tyler Glasnow make sense for the Dodgers?
Glasnow has dealt with injuries since arriving in Los Angeles, making just 18 starts last season. However, when Glasnow is in on the mound, he is effective, posting a 3.19 ERA and striking out 106 batters in 90.1 innings.
With Skubal set to become a free agent after the 2027 season, it’s likely that, in a hypothetical scenario, the Dodgers would trade for the two-time Cy Young Award winner and then hope to sign him to a long-term deal.
Part of the money that would be put toward a Skubal deal would come from Glasnow’s shedded contract. However, the Tigers would not only have to take on the deal (unless Los Angeles would be willing to eat some of the money), but also realize that they would have Glasnow through (at best) the 2028 campaign with the options included at the end of Glasnow’s contract.
Of course, this wouldn’t be a one-for-one deal. The Dodgers would likely still need to add some prospects into the mix to make Detroit realistically think about sending Skubal away.
Still, if the Dodgers were truly looking to part with Glasnow, using him to try to land Skubal could be the best way to part with a talented pitcher that may not be a part of the franchise’s plans as they look to win a third consecutive World Series.
