Dodgers better hope this pitcher gets his act together if Tarik Skubal trade is going to happen

The Los Angeles Dodgers aren't just in the hunt for Tarik Skubal; they're the leaders in the clubhouse. The two-time AL Cy Young winner is too good to pass up even though the Dodgers don't have a glaring need in their starting rotation. If this team is going to three-peat — and they remain favored to do so by the oddsmakers — they're going to need some pitching reinforcements. Why not go all-out for the best arm on the market?

ESPN's Jeff Passan proposed a trade package for Skubal earlier this week that just might get the job done, assuming all parties involved perform up to their end of the bargain. For Skubal, that means getting healthy and pitching like the all-world starter we know him to be in the lead-up to the deadline. For the pieces the Dodgers might send back in return, it's a bit more complicated.

As Passan notes in ESPN's column, no team has the combination of MLB-ready starting pitching and prospect depth that the Dodgers do. This gives them a near-insurmountable advantage in trade talks for Skubal. If there is one moving part in this proposed trade package that could make the Detroit Tigers sweat, though, it is Sheehan, who hasn't been all that reliable of late.

Sheehan has a 4.70 ERA on the season. In his last start against the Los Angeles Angels, Sheehan lasted less than two innings, giving up two runs and walking two baserunners. To put it mildly, he was all over the zone, and was lucky the Angels didn't take advantage.

If the Tigers are going to give up the face of their franchise and the best trade asset available at this year's deadline, why would they do so for a pitcher who, per his own description, is not efficient? At his best, Sheehan profiles as a top-of-the-rotation starter, but the Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris knows he'll only get one chance to receive a franchise-altering return for Skubal. He can't afford to take chances.

Why Emmet Sheehan is vital to a Dodgers trade for Tarik Skubal

As Passan notes in his column, the Dodgers have other options they could include in this trade should talks break down around Sheehan specifically. Ideally for both sides, though, that wouldn't happen. Sheehan is MLB-ready and, at least on the surface, has less questions around his development than a River Ryan type, who is coming off injury.

To land a pitcher of Skubal's quality, there is little margin for error. If the Tigers are indeed set on Sheehan — and Passan is one of the most well-informed insiders in the game — then it's time he started acting the part. The Tigers know what happens when a frontline starter goes awry. Look no further than Jack Flaherty, another former Dodger, as a classic test case.

The other assets in this trade, including Hope, are unlikely to provide major doubts before the deadline. Hope had scouts in the Arizona Complex League 'buzzing', per Passan, and is a top-50 prospect in all of baseball. West is a fun lottery ticket.

Sheehan has boom-or-bust potential. The Dodgers need to see more of the former if they're going to convince the Tigers to send them one of the best pitchers in all of baseball.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow