Dodgers trade idea from ex-MLB GM acquires Cy Young ace from Tigers for just two players

Dodgers trade idea from ex-MLB GM acquires Cy Young ace from Tigers for just two players originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are, unsurprisingly, the best team in the National League West right now. While they might be behind the Atlanta Braves when it comes to overall record, the 2026 Dodgers are still the top World Series contenders.

But, as seems to be the case every year, they are having some issues with the starting rotation. So, it would be no surprise if they went out and added someone at the 2026 MLB trade deadline.

For ex-MLB general manager Jim Bowden of The Athletic, he presented one trade idea that would have the Dodgers sending just two players to the Detroit Tigers to acquire Cy Young ace Tarik Skubal in a deal that’d surely frustrate all of MLB.

Dodgers trade idea lands Tarik Skubal for 2 players

“They certainly have enough to trade as well, as they could offer either Justin Wrobleski or Emmet Shehhan off their major-league roster and one of their top outfield prospects, such as Zyhir Hope, Josue De Paula, or Eduardo Quintero,” Bowden writes.

There isn’t one straightforward trade idea from Bowden, but there are six combinations of a deal that could realistically get the job done.

Skubal has a 2.70 ERA this season, but he’s on the injured list and working his way back from surgery to remove loose bodies in his elbow. But, even then, he won’t be cheap at all.

Bowden’s idea would have the Dodgers giving up one of Justin Wrobleski (3.07 ERA) or Emmet Sheehan (4.70 ERA). With Sheehan being 26 years old and Wrobleski being 25, both would work in this potential trade with the Tigers.

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The more interesting part of the deal might be the outfield prospect the Dodgers would have to send. Hope is 21 years old and has an .810 OPS at Double-A this season. De Paula is also 21 and has an .899 OPS at Double-A.

Quintero is a little younger at 20 years old, and at High-A, he has a .721 OPS. Of these three, it’s clear that Hope or De Paula would be the better return for the Tigers.

With the Tigers needing long-term outfield help and also likely seeking more starting pitching if they trade Skubal, this trade idea from Bowden, regardless of how it’s constructed, would make a lot of sense.

It’s an offer the Dodgers can easily afford to make, and it’s also a package that the Tigers might actually consider taking if they do indeed trade Skubal this season.

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