Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Dodgers acquired two-time AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal in a trade on Saturday night.
- The move positions Los Angeles as favorites in the NL West with a deep group of starters, though several key arms remain injury risks.
- How quickly the entire pitching staff returns to health will determine whether Roki Sasaki remains in the rotation or moves to the bullpen.
The clock struck midnight for other potential Tarik Skubal trade suitors around 12am ET. We still have 1.5 days until the MLB trade deadline, but the consensus around baseball was that one big domino had to fall before the levy broke on other deals. Finally, we can report what's been in the works for weeks behind the scenes even as the Tigers tried to save their season — Skubal is a Los Angeles Dodger.
BREAKING: The Los Angeles Dodgers are finalizing a trade for Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 2, 2026
Skubal on the Dodgers always seemed inevitable to due the amount of resources at their disposal. While the Rays, Brewers, Braves, Cubs and more contenders flirted with the idea, the possible impact of trading away top-tier prospects only to lose Skubal in free agency was too much to bare. Thankfully for the Dodgers, they are in prime position to re-sign Skubal this winter once he enters the free-agent market. The rest of baseball is far from giddy. As for the interim, though, the Dodgers' rotation took a step from solid to downright dominant.
Projected Los Angeles Dodgers rotation with Tarik Skubal
A key note in the projected rotation below: This is the group the Dodgers can feature when all of their starting pitchers are healthy. As of this writing, that cannot be said of Ohtani — who is taking a break from his mound action for the next month or so — as well as Glasnow, who is returning from injury.
Starting pitcher | ERA |
|---|---|
Tarik Skubal | 2.79 |
Yoshinobu Yamamoto | 2.76 |
Shohei Ohtani | 1.79 |
Blake Snell | 3.17 career |
Tyler Glasnow | 2.72 |
Justin Wrobleski | 2.88 |
This rotation is diabolical, but also may not be totally realistic. Skubal and Yamamoto are set in stone until proven otherwise. However, all three of Ohtani, Snell and Glasnow have dealt with their own injuries this season. Snell recently returned to action, and Glasnow should follow shortly, as he started a rehab game last week. Wrobleski made the NL All-Star team last season and is under-appreciated across the league, including by Dodgers fans. There's a reason LA didn't include him in a trade for Skubal.
That's your six-man rotation, which for now will continue to include Roki Sasaki. The Japanese fireballer who also featured in the bullpen for the Dodgers last postseason run is a wild card of sorts for Los Angeles. Their rotation is so deep it may push Sasaki out altogether if their entire arsenal comes back healthy before the playoffs.
Did the Los Angeles Dodgers ruin baseball by trading for Tarik Skubal?
Will the Dodgers trading for Skubal cause a lockout alone? Likely not. MLB owners have been waiting for this moment for a long time, but you can bet they'll use examples like the Skubal trade as a prime reason to lock out the players this winter.
When looking at the return for Skubal, which included the No. 25 prospect in baseball in Zyhir Hope, their No. 7 prospect River Ryan, and their No. 17 prospect Brady Smith, you can't really blame the Tigers for taking that offer. The real cardinal sin here is that other contenders, such as those mentioned above who are chasing the Dodgers, didn't step up their game to make the Tigers' decision more difficult.
Not to mention, the World Series isn't always won by the team with the best roster. The Dodgers came mere outs away from losing to the Toronto Blue Jays just last season. The same could happen again in 2026, though the Dodgers are doing everything they can to take luck out of the equation.
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