Dodgers Predicted to Land Tarik Skubal in Blockbuster Trade by Rival Executive

The Los Angeles Dodgers rotation is currently depleted given the absence of both Tyler Glasnow (back) and Blake Snell (elbow).

The Dodgers are relying on young pitchers Roki Sasaki, Emmet Sheehan and Justin Wrobleski to help lighten the load off aces Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Moreover, the Dodgers traded for left-handed pitcher Eric Lauer from the Toronto Blue Jays in order to provide more depth to the ailing rotation.

But is the unit strong enough to get through the perils of October?

The Dodgers have the third-best record in MLB at 33-20, but the regular season doesn't matter for LA aside from ensuring a playoff spot.

Anything and everything can happen in October, and the Dodgers front office has done what it can the last two seasons to make sure LA is built for the postseason.

Last summer's trade deadline was somewhat underwhelming to many Dodgers fans as the team made just two minor acquisitions in outfielder Alex Call and reliever Brock Stewart.

There seems to be an inkling that this trade deadline could be different as the Detroit Tigers mull over whether to trade two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.

Skubal is currently sidelined after undergoing surgery to remove loose bodies in his elbow. There is still no firm timeline for his return, but it's expected to be on the sooner side after having the NanoNeedle procedure.

When Skubal does return, there will be one main question swirling around the team: How long will he remain with the Tigers?

Since the Tigers lost their ace, the team has gone 3-16 and have slid to last place in the American League Central.

Skubal's future seemed set with the Tigers as the team made it clear they wanted to reach the playoffs, but as their hopes of October grow dimmer, there's a strong chance the two-time Cy Young winner could be dealt in his final months before becoming a free agent.

Robert Murray of FanSided reports that a rival executive believes Skubal will ultimately be traded to the back-to-back World Series champions.

“It would have to be a [Dave] Dombrowski or [AJ] Preller to get a top prospect. Everyone else treats it like Wall Street and asset value so my guess is a couple of top 10 prospects for a couple months of him," the executive said. "Or [Andrew] Friedman could go out and get him. He ups a team's chances to win the World Series by a pretty big margin. You get two starts in that five-game series.

"Friedman gets him, that’s my prediction.”

A rotation consisting of Skubal, Ohtani and Yamamoto would compete for the best in MLB history. Adding in Glasnow and Snell would just make it downright unfair.

It's currently unclear what Skubal's trade value will be given his injury. Moreover, he's a free agent in just a few months.

The Tigers won't part with Skubal for a small package. But at the same time, if they don't trade him, they're going to lose him a few months later for nothing.

The Dodgers have one of the best farm systems in baseball. At this point, it feels like if they want Skubal, they'll be able to get him.

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