Dodgers Incoming? The 3 Most Likely Trade Destinations for Tarik Skubal
Tarik Skubal is getting closer to returning to the mound, but it’s not a guarantee that the next time he throws an official pitch, it’ll be for the Detroit Tigers.
The back-to-back reigning Cy Young winner in the American League has been sidelined following surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow.
What would have usually been three months before returning has been expedited by a new device called the NanoNeedle, which means Skubal is already throwing a baseball two weeks after the procedure.
The Tigers, though, might already be out of a playoff race by the time he returns. The team is currently 20-31, and with a woeful offense, even Skubal might not be enough to get them back to a .500 record in 2026.
With the trade deadline not too far away, here are three teams that might make a move for the superstar pitcher heading towards a possible historic free agency contract.
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Los Angeles Dodgers
The most obvious answer is that the Dodgers seem primed to be the perfect trading partner for the Tigers. L.A. has a slew of elite outfield prospects who can hit the ball, and Detroit could use a few of those standouts.
Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell are both out currently due to respective injuries, with Snell also dealing with loose bodies in his elbow, and there’s no guarantee both will be fully healthy for the postseason. The Dodgers are also among the few teams with the capital and motivation to offer Skubal a life-changing contract this offseason.
Tampa Bay Rays
While this might seem like a surprising pick, it shouldn’t. Although the Rays most likely won’t keep Skubal, they’re a savvy team that has shown, time and time again, that they know how to develop prospects. The Rays are one of the best teams in baseball, and having Skubal as their frontline ace going into the postseason would make them the favorites in the American League.
It would be a gigantic risk to trade some of their future away for a single shot at a championship, but the Rays are the type of franchise to pull it off.
Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers are the same as the Rays. A team with an elite farm system that has shown they can continually replenish their prospect pool even after trading or graduating several players.
For Milwaukee, they already know how it feels to go up against the Dodgers in the National League Championship Series. L.A.’s lineup of aces was too much for the Brewers to handle, and they couldn’t match a Yoshinobu Yamamoto or Blake Snell.
Milwaukee wouldn’t re-sign Skubal in the offseason, but would anyone in Wisconsin care if he helped them take down the dynastic Dodgers and brought them a World Series ring?
I don’t think so.
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This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 8:08 PM.