Detroit Tigers Ace Tarik Skubal Could Be On His Way To the Los Angeles Dodgers
The MLB Winter Meetings are supposed to be a time of hope for every franchise. But for 29 teams in the league, the latest buzz coming out of Orlando feels less like a dream and more like a recurring nightmare. Tarik Skubal could be coming to town. The Los Angeles Dodgers are looking to add more firepower to a roster that already looks like an All-Star team.
If you’re a Tigers fan, you’re probably reaching for the antacids right now. If you’re a Dodgers fan, you’re likely checking to see if your team has somehow unlocked an infinite money cheat code. Let’s break down the noise, the logic, and the likelihood of the biggest blockbuster of the offseason.
The Report That Lit the Stove
It started with a bang on Tuesday night. David Pingalore, a sports anchor for KTLA, dropped a bombshell report claiming that a trade sending Skubal to Los Angeles was “essentially in place.”
According to Pingalore, the framework of the deal is done. The players going back and forth are agreed upon. The only thing holding up the parade? Ownership approval in Detroit and a long-term contract extension for Skubal. The logic here is that the Dodgers aren’t going to empty the farm system for a rental, and the Tigers aren’t going to trade a generational talent without the owner signing the permission slip.
Pingalore isn’t your standard national breaker like Jeff Passan or Ken Rosenthal, but he has a track record of nailing some specific, high-profile moves in the past. That alone was enough to send the baseball world into a frenzy.
The Skeptics Weigh In
Before Dodgers fans start ordering their custom jerseys, we need to look at the other side of the coin. Heavy hitters in the industry, including The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Katie Woo, were quick to pour a bucket of ice water on the fire.
Their reporting suggests that while the Dodgers are always lurking, especially after how quickly they finalized the Edwin DÃaz deal, a move for Skubal remains “unlikely.” The cost of acquisition would be astronomical, both in terms of prospect capital and the massive extension the lefty will command (projected by Spotrac to be in the 8-year, $300 million range).
Why This Trade Makes Scarily Perfect Sense
Here is the uncomfortable truth: this trade makes sense for both sides, even if it hurts the soul of baseball purists.
For Detroit, Skubal is a depreciating asset in terms of trade value. He has two years of control left. Extension talks have reportedly gone nowhere, and let’s be honest—Detroit has been hesitant to hand out $300 million contracts. If they don’t think they can keep him long-term, their best move is to sell high. Right now, his value will never be higher. He just won the Cy Young. He was unhittable.
For the Dodgers, it’s just another Tuesday. They have the deepest farm system in the game and pockets deep enough to absorb any contract. They could offer a package for Skubal headlined by young arms or even a star like Tyler Glasnow (as suggested by Jim Bowden) without completely depleting their future.
The Bottom Line
We are in a holding pattern. One side says the paperwork is practically dry; the other says don’t hold your breath.
If this trade goes through, Skubal joining a rotation that already features Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto is simply unfair. It’s the kind of video-game roster construction that makes the rest of the league want to quit and simulate to the next season. For now, all eyes are on Orlando to see if the Tigers really pull the trigger on the blockbuster of the year.
