Dodgers have Tarik Skubal trade deadline pivot nobody is talking about right now

It has more or less been a foregone conclusion that the Los Angeles Dodgers would be the favorites to land Detroit Tigers' ace Tarik Skubal. No other team has the combination of financial resources and prospect capital that would be required to absorb the rest of Skubal's hefty $32 million salary while simultaneously satiating the Tigers' desire for controllable young talent. However, as the Tigers have fought back into the fringes of the AL playoff race, it looks for now that Skubal won't be traded at the deadline.

The next logical target for the Dodgers would be Minnesota Twins ace Joe Ryan, but the Twins are also mixed up in the glut of AL playoff hopefuls, so there's no guarantee that they'll cash in their best trade chip. They have him under control for another season, so there's not a ton of urgency to move him at the deadline.

With Shohei Ohtani giving up pitching for the foreseeable future and Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell still convalescing on the IL, Los Angeles could really use an upgrade in the starting rotation. The Cincinnati Reds might be able to provide the high-end starter they crave in the form of the flame-throwing Hunter Greene.

Hunter Greene comes with risk, but the Dodgers have never shied away from injury-prone talent

The Reds are guaranteed to be sellers at the deadline, though to what extent is unknown. Per Jim Bowden of The Athletic, rumors are swirling around Greene, though the Reds have yet to confirm that they'll make the star right-hander available.

The Reds don't have to trade Greene this season, but he might be their best chip. He's also about to get significantly more expensive. Greene is halfway through a six-year, $53 million contract extension. He makes just $8.3 million this season, but that rises to $15.3 million next year and $16.3 million in 2028. His deal also includes a $21 million club option for 2029.

Those are all pretty reasonable numbers, but Cincinnati is one of the smallest markets in MLB, so every dollar is precious.

Despite that control and, from the Dodgers' perspective, affordability, Greene might not cost as much as some folks think. The 27-year-old has never pitched more than 150⅓ innings in a season and is coming off a career-low 107⅔ frames last season. He also missed most of this season with the same elbow injury that sidelined Skubal and Snell this year.

He's made three starts since he came back, and while he got hammered in his first start on July 4, surrendering eight earned runs over 3⅓ innings, he's looked like his old self in the next two. The highlight was his July 10 start against the Chicago Cubs when he tossed seven shutout innings while racking up 12 strikeouts.

Greene posted a 2.75 ERA in 2024 and a 2.76 ERA in 2025, making him every bit the ace that LA craves. The Dodgers have proven that they aren't shy about adding injury risks if the talent is there, and stuff-wise, Greene could be the best of the bunch should they acquire him.

Most importantly, he might be the best option out there, and that's enough to throw caution to the wind and land Cincinnati's star. In doing so, they'll get a bulldog who can pump 100 miles per hour with his heater, and they'll change the complexion of their starting rotation for a deep October run, all at a price less than what it would take to trade for Skubal.

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