Dodgers Rumors: MLB exec believes LA could overwhelm Tigers for Tarik Skubal

The hot stove is starting to heat up again, and the Dodgers are set to be major players. On Tuesday, The Athletic confirmed LA is in on Garrett Crochet and Luis Robert Jr., and Jeff Passan chimed in to add Randy Arozarena as a potential target for the Dodgers. None of these players will come cheaply — even Arozarena, who had the worst first two months of his career — but the Dodgers' pockets are deep and so is their farm system, and they seem to be willing to reach into both to get themselves to the World Series.

Jim Bowden has added another name to the pile, and this might be the biggest one yet. He wrote that the Tigers' Tarik Skubal might be on the trade block next month, and that the Dodgers may be among the prime suspects to secure him (subscription required).

The Tigers are in a weird place right now, and they seem to be equivocating on their role in the impending deadline. They don't like spending money and have seemed loathe to give up any of their rising stars (which is really just Skubal and Riley Greene at this point), so Skubal being mentioned as a trade candidate is a huge game changer.

Bowden noted that any offer would have to blow the Tigers away, but if the Dodgers are clearly willing to let the White Sox take their pick of prospects in the farm system for Crochet and Robert, they could be willing to do the same for the Tigers. As always, LA's farm system remains strong enough to entice any desperate party.

Tigers' Tarik Skubal linked to Dodgers in what could be a huge trade at the deadline

Skubal has emerged as one of the best pitchers in baseball this season, and is just barely running in third behind Seth Lugo for the second-best ERA in the AL (he's also fourth overall in MLB). He's leading the Tigers' pitching staff in pretty much every metric with 112 strikeouts, a 0.94 WHIP, and a .201 batting average against. He mowed down the Phillies in his Tuesday start, out-dueling Ranger Suárez, the NL's best pitcher.

Getting a dominant lefty starter is clearly on the Dodgers' wishlist given their established interest in Crochet, so why not go after an even better lefty who has the same amount of team control left? Both Skubal and Crochet came off of significant injuries at the start of the season, but Skubal avoided surgery on his flexor tendon.

The Dodgers really couldn't lose with either of them, and LA might just want to send over a whole fleet of prospects to Chicago in exchange for a Crochet/Robert package instead of splitting their attention between Robert and Skubal. Still, the temptation to go all in with the AL's current best pitcher is maddeningly tempting.

If acquired, Skubal would surely give Tyler Glasnow a run for his money in the NL Cy Young race, but a little healthy competition between teammates never hurt anyone.