This wild Dodgers trade package might convince Tigers to part with Tarik Skubal

After riding an unbeatable rotation to their second straight World Series title, the Los Angeles Dodgers don't need another elite starting pitcher, per se. Two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, postseason legend Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani, and Roki Sasaki are more than capable of holding down the fort.

And, even if the injury bug strikes again, depth options like Emmet Sheehan, Tony Gonsolin, River Ryan, Gavin Stone, Ben Casparius, and a host of prospects can fill the gaps while the stars rest and recuperate.

Truly, bringing in another ace would be a mere luxury, even if he was the best pitcher in the sport.

Well, it just so happens that such a player is rumored to be available this offseason. Tarik Skubal may not be long for the Detroit Tigers if the two sides can't merge their reportedly huge gap in negotiations, which could be a perfect chance for the Dodgers to swoop in and really live up to the villain narrative.

Dodgers can afford Tarik Skubal, but they'd have to sell out to get him

Before moving forward with any kind of offer, it's worth noting that suitors for Skubal will need to meet each of the following criteria:

- A currently contending team that can make the most of Skubal's final year of team control
- A strong farm system with multiple (expendable) Top 100 prospects and MLB-ready talent
- Huge payroll flexibility to extend Skubal on the largest pitching contract ever

That's going to limit Skubal's market considerably, as will the fact that he's set to be a free agent after the 2026 season. As such, he may not command quite as much as someone like Hunter Greene would in a trade, but the soon-to-be two-time reigning AL Cy Young Award winner with a 2.30 ERA over his last 387 innings will still require an uncomfortably large haul.

Most sources have pegged his value around the trades involving Corbin Burnes (two Top 100 prospects, two pre-arb MLB players, and a Competitive Balance Round A Draft pick) and Garrett Crochet (two Top 100 prospects and two more high-upside prospects).

The Dodgers can obviously meet that asking price, but that doesn't mean it won't sting.

The Tigers will certainly want a young pitcher already in the big leagues ready to replace Skubal's spot in the rotation. Assuming the Dodgers don't want to forfeit their monopoly on Japanese stars and won't part with Roki Sasaki, that probably means Emmet Sheehan, who still has four years of club control remaining.

Detroit also slumped on offense during the second half, so Top 100 prospect Alex Freeland would make sense as a MLB-ready option in the infield. They'd then likely have to include one of their Big 3 outfield prospects (Josue De Paula, Zyhir Hope, or Eduardo Quintero) or perhaps top pitching prospect Jackson Ferris. Detroit has a healthy slate of their own position-player prospects (Max Clark, Kevin McGonigle), but the more arms included, the better.

That's three elite young talents, and if the Tigers demand more, the Dodgers could opt to give up someone from their bullpen or one of their aforementioned depth starters. That's probably enough to get Skubal in Los Angeles, at which point the front office would have to negotiate a blockbuster extension with the star southpaw.

No matter how you slice it — you could iterate on that proposed package of Sheehan, Freeland, and Ferris and come up with a few different offers that might tempt the Tigers — Skubal is going to cost a lot in a trade (and a lot after a trade, too). He's certainly worth it, and the Dodgers haven't been shy about adding to this World Series core in recent years. Could a purging of the farm system be in order to enhance the roster's biggest strength?