The Los Angeles Dodgers made their interest in Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal known over the offseason, so it’s only natural they’re the favorites to land him at this season’s trade deadline.
According to Katie Woo of The Athletic, though, their focuses for Aug. 3 lie elsewhere. The Dodgers are aiming to bolster their already strong minor league system by parting with some of their top outfield prospects to strengthen other areas.
“The Dodgers want to improve the depth of their minor-league system and are prepared to part with at least one of their top outfield prospects not named Josue De Paula to do so,” Woo wrote.
“…The Dodgers are comfortable dealing from that position group to address other areas of their farm system, such as catching and middle-infield depth.
“The Dodgers’ starting pitching is thin in the upper minors, aside from River Ryan and Jackson Ferris. Los Angeles is believed to be searching for high-ceiling prospects in a potential trade and isn’t necessarily coveting major-league-ready talent in a return.”
Of the Dodgers’ Top 15 prospects according to MLB, just two of them play middle infield positions, and they don’t have a catcher in their Top 30 prospects. Pitching is likely a lesser issue for the Dodgers, as they still have plenty of talent coming through the ranks with players like Christian Zazueta and their highest draft pick from last year, left-hander Zach Root.
Apr 28, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers President and CEO Stan Kasten talks with Andrew Friedman, President of Baseball Operations, prior to the game against the Miami Marlins at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn ImagesWhich Prospects Could the Dodgers Look to move?
Each of the Dodgers’ Top 4 prospects according to MLB are outfielders, and they all have ETAs within the next two years. Other than De Paula, that leaves Mike Sirota, Zyhir Hope and Edgardo Quintero on the block. Additionally, the Dodgers have other strong outfielder prospects like former first-rounder James Tibbs III, Kendall George and Charles Davalan.
A prospect trade wouldn’t be the blockbuster everyone is expecting from them, but they’ve traded for prospects in the past and have seen plenty of benefits. Whether or not they pull the trigger on shipping out Top 100 MLB prospects remains to be seen, but they definitely won’t shy away from doing so if they see fit.
LA Baseball Report
Get the app for faster news
GET ×