Tarik Skubal will be the biggest free agent on the market this winter, but first he will be the most talked-about player at the trade deadline.
Skubal is expected to sign one of the most lucrative pitching contracts in league history this winter. History says the Detroit Tigers won't be the team to pay him, so trading him as a rental for a haul of prospects could be wise. The Tigers' recent surge and a weak American League complicate things, as the Tigers may not want to sell and make one last run with Skubal.
Regardless, there are very few teams that could give up the kind of haul the Tigers would want, and not think twice about it. Those are the same teams that would feel comfortable about their chances to sign him back in free agency, and the Los Angeles Dodgers are certainly one of those teams. They have an aggressive front office, with one of the best farm systems in the sport. Now, with Shohei Ohtani indefinitely out of the rotation, they have some added incentive.
The Dodgers are playing it safe with Ohtani, who has been dealing with some left-knee inflammation. He received an Orthovisc shot during the All-Star break, and the team announced that it will be some time before they put him back out on the mound. This is a huge blow to the rotation, as he had a 1.79 ERA in 14 starts. Will this force the Dodgers to go after Skubal a little harder?
"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 1/2 games out of a playoff spot in the meek American League) decide to make him available," wrote The Athletic's Katie Woo on Monday.
The Dodgers have other pitchers ready to step up in Ohtani's absence. However, they are trying to three-peat and may not want to leave anything to chance. Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell could return soon, but neither has a track record of staying healthy. Although both performed well in the postseason last year. The Dodgers also have Eric Lauer, Justin Wrobleski, Emmet Sheehan and Roki Sasaki to lean on if Ohtani cannot pitch again. Their pitching depth is the kind many teams could only dream of.