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(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Dodgers were among the teams that were in the Tarik Skubal trade speculation this offseason. However, the Detroit Tigers didn’t trade their star pitcher, even though the player had one year left on his contract.
As a result, many will be watching closely to see if the Tigers remain contenders in the American League throughout the 2026 MLB season. If Detroit were to stumble, the Skubal speculation close to the trade deadline will surely run rampant.
Moreover, all eyes would then turn to the Dodgers on whether they’d want to make an in-season trade for the Tigers ace. Nonetheless, MLB insider Tom Verducci spoke with Dodgers Nation and noted that he doesn’t see Skubal leaving Detroit at any point during the season.
“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.”
Freddie Freeman Gets Blunt About Dodgers Offseason
Despite not making a trade for Skubal, the Dodgers did land closer Edwin Diaz and outfielder Kyle Tucker to shore up weaknesses in the bullpen and the outfield. Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman shared his thoughts on the team’s offseason.
“It injects energy into us to go out and keep getting the best players year in and year out, even when you’re winning the World Series,” Freeman said on Jan. 31 during DodgerFest (h/t Dodgers Nation).
“It’s refreshing. It just really shows you that our organization, front office, [and] ownership [want to compete] every single year, to be a part of that it’s special. When you sign Edwin, you’re like, ‘Oh, that’s great.’ And then all of a sudden Kyle comes along a couple of weeks ago and you’re like, ‘Geez, okay, it’s exciting.’”
Blake Snell Situation Draws Strong Take
Meanwhile, current Dodgers starting pitcher Blake Snell might not be ready for Opening Day due to his slow ramp-up. As a result, former MLB executive David Samson didn’t hold back on Los Angeles, setting the roadmap for how teams should handle this situation with pitching injuries, especially if they have the depth the Dodgers have.
“The Dodgers announcing that Blake Snell [is] not ready for the start of the season is not because Blake Snell cannot be ready for the start of the season,” Samson said on the Feb. 2 edition of “Nothing Personal with David Samson. “The reason Blake Snell is not ready for the start of the season is because they are very aware that to keep him healthy late, you got to start him late. Blake Snell came out and said his arm was tired, his arm’s exhausted.
“He had five postseason starts; he pitched in relief [and] he’s just done… I am not going to impugn the Los Angeles Dodgers front office. I’m going to go the opposite. Congratulations on giving us a roadmap to what is necessary to win through October. We always had the feeling that we were going to have injuries and that pitchers starting 30 games plus is something in the past, and now we know.”
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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