There is no doubt that Tarik Skubal will be the most sought-after pitcher ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline, as nearly every contender is expected to pursue the two-time AL Cy Young Award winner, including the Los Angeles Dodgers. They (61-36) already lead the league and are on track to repeat as World Series champions. Adding Skubal to that rotation would make an already formidable team even stronger. As speculation surrounding the starting pitcher continues to intensify, an MLB insider shared his thoughts on a potential Skubal-to-Dodgers trade.

“The Dodgers will be in because it makes all the sense in the world for them to be in,” Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic said, per Dodgers Collective on X. “How far in they go, I don’t know.”

The Dodgers are historically more inclined to splash massively on elite free agents during the offseason. Although they generally prefer not to acquire rentals at the trade deadline, they likely won’t have the same reservations about Tarik Skubal, especially given their issues with frontline starters, including Roki Sasaki’s underperformance and the injuries to Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell. Skubal can also provide a cushion to an overtaxed bullpen.

Following his elbow surgery to remove loose bodies, Skubal is recovering well. Across 13 starts this season, the 29-year-old has posted a 3.09 ERA with a 5-5 record in 75.2 innings. Adding Skubal to a rotation already featuring Shohei Ohtani (1.79 ERA) and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2.85 ERA) is a warning for other rival 29 MLB teams.

“There’s only so many guys that can meaningfully shift your World Series odds,” Ardaya said on the podcast. “He’s probably one of those guys, even with the fact that he’s coming off elbow surgery, even with the fact that he has some freedoms looming over him.”

The Dodgers do not have too many areas that require improving. However, they surely won’t want to miss out on any opportunity to strengthen their chances of winning the World Series, especially with their chances of a hat-trick. The club entered the All-Star break with baseball’s best record of 11.5 games lead in the NL West.

Moreover, how the CBA negotiations and the predicted lockout over the salary cap proposal will affect next season remain unknown. As a result, the Dodgers are unlikely to take any chances when it comes to solidifying their World Series hopes.

Skubal is set to become a free agent at the end of the 2026 season and is set to sign one of the largest contracts in starting pitching history. However, in that case, the Detroit Tigers will not receive anything except for a draft pick. But if the Tigers trade him, they could acquire multiple top prospects, as interested teams would have to put together a package that matches Skubal’s value.

However, with the Tigers still in contention for a playoff spot, being 3.5 games back, they may not trade Skubal at all.