The Dodgers expressed interest in Skubal over the course of the season, with discussions beginning during the Winter Meetings.
Verducci called the Tigers one of the favorites to represent the American League in the upcoming World Series, and doesn’t believe they would sell potentially the best starter in the MLB while at the top of the pack next season.
‘I never really believed in that possibility’ Verducci told Doug McKain of Dodgers Nation. “…I think Tarik Skubal probably won’t re-sign with the Tigers. If he does, it will be beyond anywhere the Tigers have been, even with Miguel Cabrera. They are a team that can win the American League pennant, and that’s with Tarik Skubal.”
“…It’s hard for me to imagine a world where the Tigers in the American League Central fall out of the playoffs at the trade deadline. So I just don’t see it happening.”
The American League Central has been among the MLB’s weaker divisions in recent seasons, ranking at the bottom of the league with a combined winning percentage of .478 in 2025.
What would the Dodgers have to do to land Tarik Skubal?
While he said that’s unlikely, Verducci said the Dodgers could theoretically trade for Skubal under the right circumstances, but they would have to pay too much for his services.
“It’s not a 0% chance” Verducci said the Tigers fell out of contention, the Dodgers lost some rotation pieces and the shipping prospects from LA to Detroit. “All those things you mentioned, I think, starting with the fact that the Tigers fell out, and the Dodgers just paid a little bit more than market value, to be honest with you.
“It would have to be a trade that hurts the Dodgers in terms of prospect capital because let’s face it, other teams would be in on it too just to hire Tarik for a long ride and a postseason. But again, that’s a lot of things that would have to come into play.”
Skubal has just one season left under team control and will head to free agency after the 2026 season. The Dodgers have one of the strongest farm systems in the majors, but would still need to offload some top players to earn the ace.
However, they have shown in the past that they are willing to pay players who perform, and they could extend him after his arrival.
Does Tarik Skubal offer such a large trading package?
While Skubal would cost the Dodgers several prospects and some young MLB talent, he would be well worth the investment if the Dodgers were to extend him.
He has won both of the last two AL Cy Young awards and has led the AL in ERA the past two seasons. He pitched 195.1 innings in 2025 and recorded 241 strikeouts, posting a career-best ERA of 2.21 in his age-28 season.
Skubal would further boost the Dodgers’ chances of winning the World Series in 2026 if they were to land him, but based on the circumstances needed to land the left-hander, they will most likely have to wait for him to hit the open market.
What would your Tarik Skubal trading package look like?
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