Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers continues to be heavily linked to the Los Angeles Dodgers as Major League Baseball's Aug. 3 trade deadline slowly inches closer.

The Dodgers aren't the only team being viewed as a potential suitor for Skubal, but due to the strong farm system in place, they are seen as a favorite.

Many around the league believe that the Tigers will move Skubal this summer to avoid losing him for nothing in free agency this offseason. To this point, however, the team has made no such indication.

Los Angeles seems to "match up" well with the Tigers in a trade, with Detroit needing pitching help and in search of a young outfielder. And while the Dodgers don't necessarily need another starting pitcher, Skubal could take this group to another level.

In fact, MLB insider Bradford Doolittle of ESPN believes Skubal is a move needed to be made by Los Angeles for one key reason: not letting anyone else get him.

"That said, the Dodgers can play spoiler in the trade market, as much to hinder other contenders as to help themselves. Sure, Tarik Skubal, to cite one keen example, might not be necessary to the Dodgers' three-peat hopes. But if they have Skubal and no one else does, their probabilities grow only stronger," Doolittle wrote.

Case For Dodgers Trading For Tarik Skubal

The pros for the Dodgers to bring Skubal into the mix are all aplenty, and there aren't very many cons. The only con would be the cost to land him, mixed with the fact that he could leave as a free agent in a few months.

But teams like the Dodgers don't typically make trades like this without planning to offer the type of contract needed to keep a player around. So if the Dodgers do trade for Skubal, fans can expect the front office to be aggressive in retaining him.

Adding Skubal to an already stacked rotation could help the Dodgers' chances to three-peat greatly. And as Doolittle mentions, the Dodgers wouldn't have to face him along the way, which is a huge plus.

If the team could throw out Skubal, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani and a mixture of Blake Snell or Tyler Glasnow in a postseason series, that could be one of the best starting groups in history. The Dodgers then have other solid starters, such as Roki Sasaki and Justin Wrobleski, who could be moved to the bullpen come playoff time.

As for the cost, the Dodgers have a very strong farm system, which is perfect for helping the team execute trades like this. The Dodgers actually have too many good players on the roster, and many prospects likely won't see playing time, which could lead the team to move them.

Losing one or two top prospects for a talent like Skubal is well worth it, especially with the chance for this franchise to three-peat.

Thus, Los Angeles should do whatever it takes to go after Skubal this summer, giving itself an even stronger chance to win another World Series trophy this year.

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