MLB insider names one Dodgers player fans definitely won't want traded for Tarik Skubal

So long as Tarik Skubal trade rumors persist, you can be sure that the Los Angeles Dodgers will be a huge part of them. The Dodgers are blessed with the high-spending mentality and treasure trove of assets necessary to trade for Skubal. LA has been connected to the Detroit Tigers left-hander for months.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts added fuel to the speculation in recent days with some comments he made to USA Today's Bob Nightengale. Roberts reminded everyone that the Dodgers do, indeed, have the premium prospect capital to trade for Skubal. "They would go ballistic [with their demands in a Skubal trade] ... but we would have the prospect capital to do that," Roberts said.

Skubal's injury and his prolonged absence from the Tigers rotation this season have contributed to Detroit tumbling to the bottom of the the AL Central standings. Skubal's suitors (LA included) now feel that their chances to acquire the two-time Cy Young Award-winner are stronger than ever.

And while Dodgers fans are obviously excited about the idea of Skubal joining the club, they're also hesitant to dive headfirst into this excitement without first knowing (or at least being able to estimate) which of the team's current players could be lost in a trade.

Dodgers fans do not want to see Justin Wrobleski leave in a Tarik Skubal trade

In a piece for The Athletic this week (subscription required), MLB insider Jim Bowden ranked the Dodgers as the No. 1 "best" option for the Tigers in a Skubal trade. Bowden based his analysis on LA's "deep farm system". The former GM imagined that the Tigers could demand one of the Dodgers' top outfield prospects, along with one of LA's MLB starting pitchers, specifically mentioning Justin Wrobleski and Emmet Sheehan.

Bowden explained that if the Dodgers refused to offer up Wrobleski or Sheehan, the Tigers might pivot to one of Los Angeles' top pitching prospects instead.

Suffice it to say, Dodgers fans (and the organization itself) despise the idea of losing Wrobleski in the middle of a 2026 season in which he's gone 7-2 with a 2.87 ERA in nine starts. Wrobleski's been a huge boost to the Dodgers' rotation this year, and there's no reason to believe that this is a fluke. He's flashed brilliant stuff since debuting in 2024.

Losing Wrobleski — who might be on the path to becoming an ace himself — at this point in his career would be painful for Dodgers fans. He'd likely bloom even further in Detroit and dominate hitters in the American League for years to come.

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