The only Dodgers trade package Tigers should accept for Tarik Skubal deadline deal

The writing was on the wall the moment that the Detroit Tigers DFA'd Jake Rogers. Ditching Tarik Skubal's preferred catcher was a major clue as to what the future holds for the two-time AL Cy Young winner. The insiders now all believe Skubal will be traded by Aug. 3.

ESPN's Jeff Passan believes that the Los Angeles Dodgers are the frontrunner to acquire Skubal, to the surprise of no one. The Dodgers have been lurking all along, but for the majority of the year, it's looked like they've viewed Skubal as a luxury rather than a necessity.

That all might have changed now. Shohei Ohtani's left knee and right bicep are ailing, taking him out of Los Angeles's rotation for the time being and making his return to pitching hazy. LA also has injury-prone hurlers like Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow who cannot be relied upon.

Their level of desperation to land Skubal has changed, and the Detroit Tigers must take advantage to squeeze every drop of value from their superstar lefty and make the Dodgers pay through the nose.

Tigers must hold Dodgers' feet to the fire and demand this trade package for Tarik Skubal

The Tigers' decision to promote Max Clark tells us how Scott Harris views the rest of this season. He's looking to the future, but he's not necessarily waving the white flag on the season. He's not wrong to do so either. Despite some recent losses, Detroit is still only 4.5 games back of the final wild card spot entering action on July 31.

So if the Tigers are going to do their best to stick in the race down the stretch, but really focus on coming back stronger in 2027, there are a few key players they should target from the Dodgers, or else it's no deal.

In this deal, the Tigers get three pieces who can help them right now and in the future, plus a blue-chip prospect.

The Dodgers might try to get cute and offer Emmet Sheehan as the controllable starter instead of Justin Wrobleski, but Sheehan has regressed hard since seeming to break out last season. Wrobleski has shown high-end upside with a 2.88 ERA over 112 2/3 innings. He's not exactly a Skubal replacement, but he'll fit in the rotation immediately and isn't a free agent until 2032. Harris needs to demand that Wrobleski is included.

Edgardo Henriquez is a flame-throwing reliever who averages 100.6 miles per hour on his fastball. He's posted a 2.81 ERA in 41 2/3 innings and could take on a bigger role in a Tigers' bullpen that's been good, but not great, so far this season. Henriquez is also under team control through the 2031 season.

Los Angeles's No. 2 prospect, Mike Sirota, looks like an absolute star in the making. He started to heat up last season, but gained extra notoriety when he went on an absolute tear and reached base in 72 straight games earlier this season. The 23-year-old is hitting .325/.474/.566 on the season, with most of his action coming at Double-A. He's not ready quite yet, but he could be up in 2027 and could form a dynamic offensive core alongside Kevin McGonigle and Clark for years to come.

Finally, Ryan Ward rounds things out. The 28-year-old was last season's Pacific Coast League MVP after clocking 36 dingers. He was up earlier this year with the Dodgers, logging 60 plate appearances with three homers and a .218/.283/.455 line. His left-handed power bat could be a Kerry Carpenter clone, for better or worse.

This would be fair value for both sides. The Dodgers get one of the game's best pitchers to help solidify their three-peat dreams. The Tigers get two quality big leaguers with oodles of team control, a top prospect with superstar upside, and a role player platoon bat. Anything less than this, and Scott Harris should just hang up the phone.

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