A Dodgers-Tigers trade that actually gives LA the ideal Tarik Skubal fallback

The Los Angeles Dodgers have been rumored to be making attempts to try to trade for the Detroit Tigers ace, Tarik Skubal. A trade like this would completely drain their farm system, likely requiring their top two prospects, Josue De Paula and Dalton Rushing among other prospects too. They would be adding the best pitcher in baseball right now, but these rumors are still a longshot.

If these ideas fall through and the Dodgers can't land Skubal, they could always fall back on another Tigers pitcher, this one much cheaper, being Jack Flaherty.

Flaherty, though not on the same level as Skubal, is on an expiring deal and would be much cheaper to trade for. The Dodgers could likely pull him away for a few middle of the road prospects.

(For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, and join the discord to get the inside scoop as we near the July 30 MLB trade deadline.)

A Dodgers-Tigers trade for a starting pitcher not named Tarik Skubal

Flaherty, 28, has a 2.95 ERA on the season following a magnificent six inning performance against the first place Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday night. On a lot of teams this season, Flaherty would be an ace. He just happens to pitch for the same team as the most dominant pitcher in the game.

The Dodgers could use their money and their incredible payroll to buy their way to a cheap deal with the Tigers.

The first thing to note in this trade is that the Dodgers are sending cash over. A significant chunk of cash to help the Tigers pay off the Javy Baez contract. Baez is set to make about $25 million each of the next three seasons. For the sake of this hypothetical, let's say the Dodgers are sending over about $7 million a year to help pay that deal off. That lowers the prospect load it would take to acquire Flaherty by quite a bit and it really doesn't impact the Dodgers bank account whatsoever.

Martin, Los Angeles' ninth ranked prospect, has thrown to a 3.68 ERA across two seasons and 88 innings of pro baseball. He's struggled a bit since being promoted to High-A, but the Dodgers prospect is still just 20 years old. He has a few solid pitches and good command.

Burns, 22, has been magnificent this season. He's thrown to a sub-2.00 ERA across five High-A starts. He has a plus fastball and two plus breaking balls, but his command tends to hold him back a bit. It's still a bit high this year, but if he can dial that in, he's a true big league prospect.

Obviously, the Dodgers are trying to land Skubal or Garrett Crochet from the White Sox. But if they strike out there, they could always fall back on one of the more highly sought after rentals on the market. Flaherty would be a perfect piece to help them make a pennant push this season.