Dodgers might have MLB checkmated at trade deadline without Tarik Skubal

No Tarik Skubal? No problem. Don't get us wrong, it's hard to argue that there's been a better starting arm in MLB (besides maybe Paul Skenes) than the left one of Skubal. But the Dodgers don't need him.

He’s been elite the past few seasons, going 38-13 from 2023-25 with a 2.46 ERA. And netting his services to join the likes of Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell would turn the Dodgers from dominant to nearly unbeatable. But there’s another less-heralded, still-splendid arm in the Twin Cities who could push LA to a similar level. And his name is Joe Ryan.

Dodgers acquiring Joe Ryan at trade deadline is underrated juggernaut move

According to various reports, the price for Skubal is a steep one — as it very well should be. Although he’s playing on a one-year deal and is set to become a free agent, it’s rare that Cy Young pitching is available for grabs midseason. So the Tigers are asking for a lot to part with him.

The NY Post’s Jon Heyman reported that Detroit was seeking pitchers under long-term control (which Skubal isn’t) and league-ready hitters. In fact, Heyman revealed that the Tigers have been scouting Yankees top prospects George Lombard Jr. (No. 1 per MLB.com) and Carlos Lagrange (No. 4).

If that's the starting point, then the Dodgers will be paying a hefty price. They can do it, but why not pay top dollar and get somebody for another year of control? Ryan is under contract through 2027 thanks to a $13 million mutual option that covers his final year of arbitration.

They just got an up close look at him too, as Ryan put forth a solid outing against the defending champs last Wednesday despite dealing with an illness over the past week.

He has a 3.18 ERA across 17 starts this year and has struck out 108 batters across 93 1/3 innings. That would be a massive upgrade over Roki Sasaki come playoff time, and then maybe Sasaki can shift back to the bullpen where he was dominant for the Dodgers during their World Series run last year.

The Twins won't be giving him away for pennies, but the package probably won't be anywhere close to the cost of Skubal, which is where the headline-grabbing focus will be. Let somebody else get him, and then counter with Joe Ryan. That's as good of a deadline checkmate there ever was.

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