2 most threatening teams to the Dodgers and Brewers in Tarik Skubal trade chase

The Tigers led 7-0 with Tarik Skubal on the mound on Wednesday afternoon. They still lost. That should tell Dodgers fans all they need to know about Skubal's trade status. The Tigers are sitting on the outside looking in at the AL Wild Card race. They have four teams to jump, and are fourth place in the AL Central. Skubal is the face of the Tigers. He will not be acquired easily. Still, the Dodgers can do more good by adding to their starting pitcher arsenal and keeping Skubal away from NL rivals like the Brewers, Cubs, Braves and Phillies.

Of all the Dodgers biggest threats in the National League, the Brewers may be the best of the bunch. Not only is Milwaukee leading the crowded NL Central, but they have the No. 2 spot in our MLB Power Rankings. What the Brewers lack is experienced pitching depth behind ace Jacob Misiorowski, who is the favorite for the NL Cy Young award, with Shohei Ohtani and Cristopher Sanchez not far behind. Thus, acquiring Skubal would give the Brewers another horse, and one with two AL Cy Youngs under his belt. That's one way to forget about Brandon Woodruff's sad injury fate.

Why the Dodgers should be scared of more than just the Brewers trading for Tarik Skubal

The Dodgers have the deepest roster in baseball. They should dominate the postseason in most departments, assuming they're healthy. If Tarik Skubal and Blake Snell return unscathed, and if Ohtani can pitch in the postseason alongside a resurgent Roki Sasaki, then there's no team currently assembled that can beat them. If you noticed, that's a lot of ifs. Welcome to Dodgers doomsday daily.

But the Brewers and Dodgers aren't alone. There are plenty of teams that could use an upgrade in the starting rotation, and have the means to afford Skubal. Again, the Tigers asking price isn't all that high, and they did that to themselves. If the Brewers opt to trade Logan Henderson and some top prospects from their loaded farm system, then the Dodgers can forget about adding Skubal. It's over. Yet, even more MLB contenders can join the race — especially from the AL — who have expendable pitching to include.

Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays have been connected to Skubal for quite some time. Robert Murray admitted as much in his most recent trade deadline article on FanSided.com. Sure, the Rays would prefer to pay less for a Freddy Peralta-type, but he will not make them a bigger threat to Los Angeles. No, Peralta will only aid the Rays in their quest to win the AL East and get out of a soft American League. If they can acquire Skubal, then an oft-injured rotation suddenly adds more rest and, honestly, firepower.

New York Yankees

The Yankees may never trade their top prospects. What do I know? But if Brian Cashman ever grows the (insert your favorite term here), the Yankees could become a more qualified contender rather quickly. Most trade proposals I've seen for Skubal include Will Warren or a Spencer Jones-type. That's all fun and good, and it lets fans know you're trying. It does not help the actual New York Yankees acquire Tarik Skubal. Still, the Yanks are a threat due to their prospect capital and young pitching. Cashman has what it takes to put Skubal in pinstripes tomorrow. His offers haven't cut it yet.

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