Dodgers predicted to trade for $32M 2-time Cy Young winner to pair with Shohei Ohtani originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Detroit Tigers are in a difficult position with Tarik Skubal, who is in the final year of his contract. Skubal, a two-time Cy Young winner, is seeking a deal that the franchise appears unwilling to meet. In fact, there is a significant gap between what he is asking for and what the team is willing to offer.

“The Tigers and superstar pitcher Tarik Skubal have a lot of work to do if they’re going to bridge quite possibly the biggest gap in MLB negotiating history: an estimated quarter of a billion dollars. Yep, that’s not a misprint. It’s close to $250 million,” New York Post’s Jon Heyman wrote.

During the offseason, it appeared Detroit was preparing for the possibility of Skubal’s departure by signing left-hander Framber Valdez.

“The Tigers on Tuesday announced that they have signed left-hander Framber Valdez to a three-year deal worth $115 million,” MLB.com’s Tim Stebbins wrote.

Now, with the Tigers off to a slow start, FanSided’s Christopher Kline believes Detroit should consider trading Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“If the Tigers can't climb the standings expeditiously, keeping Skubal beyond the trade deadline — when he's virtually guaranteed to walk as a free agent next winter — would be malpractice. As much as it would sting, Detroit cannot get left holding the bag. If the Tigers aren't going to meaningfully contend in the American League, trading Skubal and recouping value is a must. There's no way around it. As for where Skubal might end up, it's probably a team with a high financial threshold and a deep farm system. Unfortunately for the rest of MLB, no club meets those criteria better than the Dodgers,” Kline wrote.

Adding Skubal would give Los Angeles an overwhelming advantage and likely make them clear favorites. A rotation featuring Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, and Skubal would be among the most dominant in baseball.

Skubal is earning $32 million this season, which is modest compared to some of the league’s largest contracts. The Dodgers could also explore extending him before the season ends, making it even easier to justify a blockbuster move.

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