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The Los Angeles Dodgers have long been a major player in free agency, consistently landing top-tier talent. This past season, however, they shifted their focus to the trade market, targeting the biggest available name.
Los Angeles has always boasted a strong starting rotation, and it became even more formidable in August with the acquisition of Tarik Skubal. The Dodgers secured Skubal, the reigning back-to-back American League Cy Young Award winner, from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for three prospects: outfielder Zyhir Hope and right-handers River Ryan and Brady Smith.
Skubal, a 29-year-old pending free agent, now headlines what ESPN's Alden Gonzales described as arguably the best rotation in baseball. The left-hander is widely regarded as the top southpaw in the game, if not the best starter overall.
In Game 1 of the NLDS, Skubal delivered a stellar postseason debut. He threw triple-digit heat at Dodger Stadium, holding the Atlanta Braves to one run over six innings in a 5-3 victory. After allowing a leadoff single to Drake Baldwin and a home run to Sean Murphy in the sixth, Skubal retired 15 consecutive batters, seven by strikeout, as Gonzales noted.
The lefty is set to become a free agent this winter, and Bleacher Report's Erik Beaston predicts he will return to Los Angeles. The two-time All-Star and Cy Young winner led the majors in ERA over the past two seasons and in 2025 posted a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 7.30, the best in the sport. While his 2026 stats were less dominant, he joined the Dodgers at the deadline and helped the team pursue a third consecutive World Series title.
Beaston wrote: "Prediction: Skubal ultimately re-signs with the Dodgers."
With Skubal, the Dodgers would have the best rotation in baseball for years to come, and no other team could come close. Skubal alone is dominant, and adding Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, and others makes the staff even more formidable.
Skubal is playing on a $32 million contract this season. The Dodgers are known for landing top free agents, and this winter appears no different.
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Originally reported by sportingnews.