The Los Angeles Dodgers were already MLB's most-hated team, and then they signed Kyle Tucker. As if signing Kyle Tucker wasn't bad enough, they gave him a four-year, $240 million deal. Even with deferrals, the average annual value comes out to just a shade under $60 million a year. This is absurd money being thrown around by the back-to-back defending champions.
What if I told you that the Dodgers' signing of this 28-year-old superstar isn't even the biggest of the Dodgers' haters' problems, though? That's right: It can, and probably will, get worse.
Dodgers have every reason to try and overwhelm the Tigers for Tarik Skubal
Signing Tucker wound up costing nothing more than money (which the Dodgers seem to have unlimited amounts of), some draft capital, and some international signing bonus pool money. I'm not saying the Dodgers got Tucker for free by any means, but it's not as if they had to trade their top prospects to bring him (or Edwin Diaz) aboard.
Signing Tucker, especially to the deal that they did, makes it even clearer that the Dodgers are doing whatever they can to win right now. Knowing this, they can, and probably will, do whatever they can to maximize this window. What better way to do that than to trade for Tarik Skubal?
Do the Dodgers need Skubal? Of course not. Even without him, their rotation is arguably the best and deepest in the sport. With that being said, did the Dodgers need Tucker? Sure, an outfield upgrade was needed, but the Dodgers would've been more than fine without the best free agent available. They're sparing no expense to try and win now, and there's reason to believe they'd spare no prospect either.
Dodgers have more than enough to pry Tarik Skubal out of Detroit
In addition to their super team, the Dodgers have MLB's best farm system, according to MLB Pipeline, and some very tradable young players with team control on their active roster. Knowing this, what, exactly, is stopping them from giving the Detroit Tigers an offer that's too good to refuse for Skubal? Would something like this offer below really not get it done?
This would be a haul for the Tigers. Both Emmet Sheehan and Andy Pages are young players with upside that the Tigers could play right away and several years of cheap club control. Josue De Paula and Zyhir Hope are two top 20 prospects in the sport. Alex Freeland is a highly-touted infielder who is also MLB-ready. Receiving all of this for one year of Skubal feels like a win for Detroit.
And it's not much from the Dodgers' perspective. Sure, it's a lot of value, but Andy Pages is probably their No. 9 hitter and is easily replaceable, whether it's trading for a guy like Luis Robert Jr. or signing a free agent like Harrison Bader. Sheehan is pretty solid, but Skubal is obviously a major upgrade in their rotation. Do the Dodgers really need De Paula or Hope, knowing they have Teoscar Hernandez and Kyle Tucker in their corner outfield for the next two years at least? Is Alex Freeland not expendable?
The Dodgers probably have more they can add onto this offer, too, without breaking a sweat.
Tigers backed themselves into a corner with Tarik Skubal
What's even scarier is that the Tigers might be more motivated now than previously to trade Skubal. It's never ideal to trade the best pitcher in the world, especially when the roster is good enough to make the playoffs, but who honestly believes he'll stick around in Detroit long-term if the two sides can't even agree on a contract to avoid arbitration?
Rather than risk losing him for nothing more than a draft pick this winter, why not trade him when his value is at its highest? It's hard to envision teams offering more for Skubal at the deadline than they are now, and with the Tigers not making any substantial upgrades this offseason, it's not as if they're true World Series contenders.
It might not be what MLB fans want to see happen, but this is all lining up for the Dodgers to acquire Skubal. The Tigers might feel compelled to trade him, the Dodgers have the resources to get a deal done, and as we continue to see, the Dodgers will stop at absolutely nothing to try and pull off a three-peat.
Rest of Dodgers offseason isn't Tarik Skubal or bust
Even if the Dodgers fail to acquire Skubal, it's not as if their offseason will be a failure. They'll be World Series favorites regardless, and the Dodgers could easily pivot to a different trade target.
Freddy Peralta isn't as good as Skubal, but he'll probably get traded and would make their rotation even better. MacKenzie Gore would come with an extra year of control and has immense upside. Heck, perhaps the Dodgers could overwhelm the Twins and acquire one or multiple of Joe Ryan, Pablo Lopez or Byron Buxton.
The Dodgers are at a point where they don't have to push hard to make deals, but they have so much to offer to make everyone believe that they aren't done. Skubal is their white whale, but they'd be even scarier with a Peralta or Buxton on their roster too.