The latest rumors on Skubal, plus 'the Dodgers are in on Arozarena'
Mark Feinsand
@feinsandFor weeks, Garrett Crochet has been forecasted as the best pitcher available before the Trade Deadline. That may no longer be the case.
Tarik Skubal, one of the frontrunners in the American League Cy Young race, has become the latest name trending in trade rumors, and according to sources, two of baseball’s top teams are primed to make a bid for the Tigers left-hander.
The Orioles and Dodgers are both interested in Skubal, according to sources, backing up previous reporting by both Sports Illustrated and USA Today. It’s unclear where talks stand between Detroit and either of the clubs, but if the Tigers decide to make Skubal available, other teams are expected to enter the fray, creating a sweepstakes feel to the situation.
It remains to be seen whether the Tigers will actually trade Skubal, who is 11-3 with an American League-low 2.34 ERA over 123 innings in 20 starts. The 27-year-old is earning $2.65 million this season and is arbitration-eligible for two more years, leaving him under club control through 2026. The more likely scenario would be the Tigers trading Jack Flaherty – an impending free agent – to a rotation-needy contender.
“Skubal would be a game-changer for so many teams,” a National League executive said. “I’m not sure why the Tigers would trade him, but if they do, they’re going to get a haul in return.”
The Dodgers have made their desire to add another impact starter quite public, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them pay the price for somebody such as Skubal or Crochet.
“We think our team right now is really good, especially once our guys, once we get back to full strength,” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said on Monday. “Targeting starting pitching, but it's going to be an impact-type arm.”
Don’t forget: the Dodgers and Tigers put together a deal last summer for Eduardo Rodriguez, but the pitcher utilized his no-trade clause to nix it. Outfielder Andy Pages could be a logical target as part of a package, given the Tigers’ need for middle-of-the-field help.
The Orioles are in need of rotation help, as well, with Kyle Bradish, John Means and Tyler Wells all done for the season. Having added an ace in Corbin Burnes last offseason, Baltimore would love to bring in another top arm to insert with Burnes and Grayson Rodriguez for the stretch run and the postseason. If that pitcher comes with control beyond 2024, general manager Mike Elias sees that as a “big bonus.”
“I think that'll definitely be viewed as a positive, and when there's extra years of control, usually it means the acquisition cost is going to be a little bit higher,” Elias said before the All-Star break. “But I think that we'll be approaching this Deadline with 2024 front and center, and anything beyond that, we're going to get another bite at the apple for addressing it over the winter. So it'll be valued and it'll be a big bonus, but I think, first and foremost, the concern will be the second half of the season and the playoffs that we're hopefully going to be playing in.”
Impact bat, too?
The Dodgers aren’t just looking for an impact arm, as sources said Los Angeles is also hoping to add an impact bat in the outfield prior to next Tuesday.
Despite a down year overall, Randy Arozarena would fit that description, especially since he’s heated up since the beginning of June. Entering play on Tuesday, Arozarena had a .906 OPS with seven home runs since June 1, looking more like the player who won AL Rookie of the Year honors in 2021 and earned an All-Star selection in 2023.
“The Dodgers are in on Arozarena,” a source said. “He would be a great fit there.”
Arozarena is earning $8.1 million this season and is arbitration-eligible for two more years. Tampa Bay has historically dealt players prior to their final arbitration years, so it wouldn’t be unusual to see Arozarena moved.
Another player drawing interest from the Dodgers, according to sources, is White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr., who is signed for $15 million in 2025 with $20 million club options for both 2026 and 2027. The Dodgers could look to deal for both Robert and Crochet, filling two needs with one trade, but a source said the White Sox’ asking price for each player – let alone both of them in one package – is quite high.
Buy or sell? Why not both?
We spend so much time trying to figure out which teams are going to be buyers and sellers, but this year’s muddled postseason picture could result in a number of clubs doing a little of both.
According to executives around the league, as many as eight teams could look to toe the line between now and next Tuesday, doing a bit of buying and a bit of selling in an effort to tweak their rosters for 2024 while adding controllable talent for 2025 and beyond.
“The most interesting thing is how many teams appear willing to both buy and sell,” an NL executive said. “That’s not usually the case. Some teams may have to move money to add money, in addition to the fact that there are so many teams hovering around playoff contention.”
Among the teams that may look to thread the buy/sell needle include the Rays, Reds, Guardians, Mets, Giants, Cubs, D-backs and Brewers, setting up what could be a fascinating deadline.
“As far as the industry goes, it might even be a bigger story than any player who actually gets moved,” the exec said. “The conversations are unlike any we’ve had in the past that I can recall.”