Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported Thursday that rival executives believe the Los Angeles Dodgers “plan to be greedy” at the Aug. 3 trade deadline and would be “all in” if Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal becomes available — a stance that, if the Tigers finally blink, could set off the kind of bidding war that reshapes a pennant race before the first pitch is even thrown.
Nightengale separately reported that the Philadelphia Phillies “would love” to trade for reliever Jeff Hoffman and will also be active in the starting-pitcher market, with targets including Skubal, Giants left-hander Robbie Ray, and Orioles right-hander Clay Holmes. Both items were shared July 24 via the MLB Daily News aggregator on Bluesky, citing Nightengale’s reporting.
The Dodgers’ interest marks a shift from earlier this month, when Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that Los Angeles was “not in” on Skubal — a posture MLB.com noted could change if injured starters Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow failed to return on schedule. Nightengale’s latest reporting suggests that pivot may already be underway, with rival front offices now viewing the Dodgers as the most aggressive potential suitor.
Whether Skubal is actually moved depends entirely on the Tigers, who have spent months telling teams he is off limits. Detroit sat at 37-49 through July 1, six and a half games out of a wild-card spot. An American League executive put it bluntly to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand: “They have to move Skubal; there’s no way around it. They will set that franchise back 10 years if they don’t. He’s gone at the end of the year regardless, and they can pull Major League assets back.”
Skubal is a two-time defending AL Cy Young winner who returned ahead of schedule from left elbow surgery in May, a procedure MLB Trade Rumors described as a less invasive NanoNeedle technique. His fastball averaged 97.9 mph in his first start back. In what could be one of his final outings in a Tigers uniform, he struck out nine Yankees at Yankee Stadium without issuing a walk, allowing one earned run on one hit over six innings.
“That’s the reality, right? I’d be lying if I said it hadn’t crossed my mind,” Skubal told reporters after that start. “But I can’t let that impact my day-to-day and who I am on the mound. My job is to go out there and compete and win baseball games for the Detroit Tigers, and I’m gonna keep doing that until I’m told I’m on another team.”
Nightengale drew a direct parallel to the 2008 CC Sabathia trade in a June column, urging a contender to “go get Tarik Skubal like he’s CC Sabathia.” The Brewers that summer traded four top prospects to Cleveland for an impending free agent, got 11 wins and a 1.64 ERA in 17 starts, and rode Sabathia to their first playoff berth in 26 years. The Dodgers, notably, were on the verge of their own deal for Sabathia before owner Frank McCourt balked at the salary — a missed opportunity the organization has never fully lived down.
MLB Trade Rumors ranked Skubal No. 1 on its trade-candidate list, calling him one of the three best pitchers on the planet and noting that any team with legitimate World Series aspirations should be involved. He is a pure rental — no extension is coming before free agency — but the caliber of player rarely reaches the midseason market. Detroit could net a top-25-to-50 prospect as a headliner if they make the call.
Robbie Ray, the 2021 AL Cy Young winner now with the Giants, posted a 1.36 ERA over five June starts and would represent a secondary target for teams that miss on Skubal. Casey Mize, another Tigers right-hander and impending free agent, has a 2.63 ERA over 12 starts and could also be moved if Detroit commits to selling.
The Tigers have won four straight against first-place opponents and keep insisting they are not folding. But the standings say what they say, and the film doesn’t lie. If Detroit puts Skubal on the board, the Dodgers are ready to empty the clip — and they won’t be alone.
Sources
- MLB Daily News on Bluesky (Nightengale: Dodgers “all in” on Skubal)
- MLB Daily News on Bluesky (Nightengale: Phillies targeting Hoffman, SP market)
- USA Today — Bob Nightengale, June 7, 2026
- MLB.com — Trade rumors: Skubal, Angels, Yankees, starting pitchers, July 1, 2026
- MLB Trade Rumors — Top 35 Trade Candidates for the 2026 Deadline