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The Los Angeles Dodgers will be one of the teams to follow in the saga involving Detroit Tigers‘ Tarik Skubal, who is in his contract year and can test free agency next offseason.
Moreover, if the Tigers fall out of contention, then rumors surrounding the player will emerge early around the MLB trade deadline. Nonetheless, if Detroit is one of the top teams in the American League, then the rumors will be delayed until the winter later this year.
With Skubal months away from free agency, the speculation is that the Tigers ace will likely end up in a major market like Los Angeles or New York. Nonetheless, Skubal’s agent Scott Boras states that it might not be the case.
“Limiting it to New York teams or LA teams, I think, is something that is just not accurate because, obviously, this is a talent-driven business,” Boras told the New York Post’s Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman in a Feb. 27 video from “The Show.” “This is something that brings you world championships, having No. 1 starters.
“We learned from Gerrit Cole what that meant to the Yankees, what allowed them to compete annually for a World Series, and having one starter is what that means to all the rest of the starters and the recruitment of other starters.”
Other Teams Will Likely Consider Pursuing Tarik Skubal
As a result, Boras believes there will be other teams involved that aren’t based only in Los Angeles or New York, because they understand the value of having a No. 1 starter if they want to contend for a World Series.
“I think that teams are very aware of this, and I fully would imagine that it’s good business to go out and try to get someone that you can’t get, because acquiring a player like this, you know it’s going to be years before you’re going to have an opportunity to acquire anyone like him for some time.”
Dodgers Likely Have to Wait Until Next Offseason
Moreover, MLB insider Tom Verducci recently spoke with Dodgers Nation and noted that he doesn’t see Skubal leaving Detroit at any point during the season. As a result, any long-term decision involving the ace will have to come in the offseason.
“I never really bought into [the Tigers trading Skubal this offseason] possibility, only because of how much he means to Detroit,“ Verducci said in a video posted by Dodgers Nation on Feb. 14. “The Dodgers do their due diligence. We all know that, and I think Tarik Skubal likely is not going to re-sign with the Tigers.
“If he does, it’s going to be a number beyond anywhere the Tigers have gone, even with Miguel Cabrera. So listen, they’re a team that can win the American League pennant, Detroit, and that means with Tarik Skubal.
“So you ride it out, you play it out, you see if you can re-sign him. But it’s hard for me to envision any kind of world where, in the American League Central, the Tigers are out of playoff contention at the trade deadline. So I just don’t see it happening because of how much he means to Detroit.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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