Detroit Tigers All-Star starting pitcher Tarik Skubal has one year of team control left, and doesn’t seem close to signing an extension with the Tigers.
His name has been thrown around in trade conversations all offseason for this reason, and ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez reported the Los Angeles Dodgers are the only team capable of trading for and extending the two-time Cy Young winner.
“And if there’s one team with the capability to both trade for and extend Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, according to insiders, it’s the Los Angeles Dodgers,” Gonzalez wrote.
After a few solid seasons with the Tigers, Skubal took over as the best pitcher in the American League in 2024. The left-hander made 31 starts that season, posting an American League-leading 2.39 OPS and an MLB-leading 6.4 bWAR. He recorded 228 strikeouts, also leading MLB, and won his first Cy Young award to go with his first All-Star selection.
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Skubal got even better in 2025, leading the American League in ERA for the second consecutive season with a mark of 2.21 and striking out a career-high 241 batters. He also led MLB with a 0.891 WHIP and won the Cy Young in a landslide.
The Dodgers have shown they’re more than willing to make moves for the biggest names in the sport over the past couple of seasons, bringing in players like Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Blake Snell on monstrous contracts to support their winning mentality.
If they’re to move for Skubal, they’d definitely be able to get a rewarding package for the Tigers together with their multitude of All-Stars and packed farm system, which has seven players currently ranked in MLB’s Top 100 prospects.
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The Tigers reportedly held serious talks over Skubal and were especially intrigued by the Dodgers’ offer, so a move for the southpaw could be on the cards.
“They surprised teams by engaging in serious talks, and were intrigued by the Dodgers’ potential package of prospects, triggering trade rumor,” USA Today’s Bob Nightengale wrote.
Nothing is final yet, though, and with several months still remaining in the offseason, Skubal’s future is anything but certain.
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