According to ESPN insider Jeff Passan, the Detroit Tigers will trade ace Tarik Skubal by the deadline on Monday at 6 p.m..He adds that most teams anticipate the Dodgers will be the team that acquires him."[The rest of MLB] is all almost resigned to the idea that the Los Angeles Dodgers are going to get Tarik Skubal," Passan said Wednesday."That's my guess, [that Skubal is traded to the Dodgers], yes," Passan added in a Threads Q&A this week.The prediction markets tell a similar story.
Kalshi gives the Dodgers a 49% chance of trading for Skubal before the deadline.The market also gives them a 53% chance of having Skubal on their roster by Opening Day 2027.Bob Nightengale reported Thursday that the Dodgers are Skubal's "preferred destination" once he reaches free agency after the season.Translation: It would be surprising if Skubal is not a Dodger by Monday night.Detroit Tigers' Tarik Skubal (29) pitches against the Athletics during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, July 7, 2026, in Detroit.
(AP Photo/Duane Burleson) (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press.All rights reserved.)MONICA MCNUTT IS TRYING TO BECOME THE FEMALE RYAN CLARK WITH LATEST CAITLIN CLARK SMEWe understand the argument that no one superteam can "ruin" baseball due to the inherent randomness of the sport.
Fair enough.Still, it doesn't bode well for the competitive balance of a league when the only real argument against the Dodgers winning a third straight World Series is that randomness could intervene.Here's what the Dodgers' postseason rotation could look like if they acquire Skubal:The Dodgers already have the best rotation in baseball.
Adding Skubal, whom many consider the best pitcher in the sport, could mark the greatest pitching rotation ever assembled.And that's before considering the lineup.The Dodgers already own the best record in baseball and the league's best run differential (+156).They've done so despite extended injuries to Snell and Glasnow.
However dominant they've l...