The Dodgers' Tarik Skubal trade deadline hype just got a massive reality check

The MLB offseason left fans in disbelief after the back-to-back World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers strengthened their roster even further. Now, ahead of the 2026 MLB trade deadline, the buzz surrounding another potential move has set off the alarm of fans once again.

The biggest name circled ahead of the trade deadline is undeniably Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal. The two-time American League Cy Young winner doesn’t appear to want to depart Detroit, but if a trade does come to fruition, ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan revealed that the most likely landing spot is with none other than the Dodgers.

While speaking on ESPN’s Get Up, Passan admitted as much.

“If there’s a team that’s going to go get Tarik Skubal and has both the incentive and the ability to do so, it is the Los Angeles Dodgers,” Passan said. “And I know people don’t like hearing that.”

For what it’s worth, Passan also admitted he could see the team playing it as they did last season, without making a significant trade (and still remaining the best team in baseball, as he put it).

Regardless, the Dodgers still sit atop the league with a 61-36 record and are 1.5 games ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League. However, some of the initial beliefs behind the pursuit of Skubal involved the possibility of a team like the Brewers adding him to the mix, which could throw a wrench into the Dodgers’ pursuit of a three-peat.