Dodgers' Dave Roberts Addresses Potential Tarik Skubal Blockbuster Trade to LA

Everyone in baseball is wondering whether the Los Angeles Dodgers can pull off the blockbuster trade of the summer.

Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal is expected to be on the trade block, and the Dodgers have been heavily linked to the two-time Cy Young winner over the last few years.

A Dodgers rotation that features Skubal, Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinbou Yamamoto and Blake Snell would be terrifying for opponents. What's even more frightening for baseball fans is the Dodgers have the trade capital to execute a deal with the Tigers.

Manager Dave Roberts is aware of the chaos that would ensue if the Dodgers landed Skubal in a blockbuster trade and admitted there is an increasing reality surrounding the ace's arrival to LA.

"They would go ballistic," Roberts said with a laugh to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. "But we would have the prospect capital to do that. We are one of the teams that could do that with the Tigers."

Skubal is currently recovering from surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow. He had a 2.70 ERA across 43.1 innings before the injury, and could return by the end of this month.

What Would Dodgers Have to Trade for Tarik Skubal

As Roberts said, the back-to-back champions have the means to acquire the two-time Cy Young winner. But which players specifically could be involved in the return package for Skubal?

The Dodgers have several young pitchers and top prospects in their farm system to send to Detroit. One MLB insider believes a trade package could include Emmet Sheehan or Justin Wrobleski, both of whom are currently in the starting rotation, and a top outfield prospect.

"They certainly have enough to trade as well, as they could offer either Justin Wrobleski or Emmet Sheehan off their major-league roster and one of their top outfield prospects, such as Zyhir Hope, Josue De Paula or Eduardo Quintero," The Athletic's Jim Bowden wrote.

Of the two starters in the proposed package, the lefty Wrobleski has performed the best. The southpaw is sporting a 2.87 ERA with 40 strikeouts across 62.2. innings pitched this season. Wrobleski has been one of the Dodgers' most durable and dependable starters in 2026.

As for Sheehan, the right-hander has posted a 4.50 ERA with 62 strikeouts across 58 innings of work. He's been better as of late after some early-season struggles.

The Dodgers' ability to trade for a superstar like Skubal is a testament to the organization's success from top to bottom. The narrative that the Dodgers are ruining baseball because they "buy" championships is completely false given the team's strength of the farm system.

"My honest opinion is the majority of takes about the Dodgers couldn’t be more lazy that it's just about the payroll," Roberts said to Nightengale. "It’s about the draft. It’s about layering on where we pick in the draft annually. The player development. How we acquire international talent. How we perform consistently at the major-league level.

"I actually think it’s a competitive advantage in the sense that people feel that way, and not look at themselves in the mirror and see how they can operate things better. So that’s beneficial for us."

Add us as a preferred source on Google