Dodgers involved in wild Tarik Skubal trade rumor with Cubs, Phillies

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ESPN's Jeff Passan acknowledged in a new article on Thursday that the Los Angeles Dodgers should go get Tarik Skubal.

But he didn't stop there.

In fact, Passan writes that the Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Rays, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres should all go after Skubal.

The whole list is fascinating, particularly the Dodgers and Braves component at the top of the NL standings.

But there's a lot of time for things to change, and L.A. has a bunch of potential bidding war opponents to be concerned about.

For the Dodgers, it's simple -- getting Skubal would make the back-to-back World Series champs stronger.

"When given the opportunity to acquire the best players in baseball, Los Angeles does not hesitate," Passan writes. "Paying a premium price for a short-term contract goes against how they prefer to operate, but the Dodgers have built such a good farm system -- and one that, heavy on controllable arms and dynamic outfielders, matches up perfectly with Detroit's needs -- that it makes too much sense for them not to be involved in the discussions. It ends up one of two places: They get the best pitcher in the world, or they drive up the price for others already struggling to keep up with them."

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A team like the Cubs needs Skubal but also other pitching -- they've been so injured that multiple acquisitions could be in the cards for Chicago.

The Phillies could use Skubal to keep up with the Braves.

It'd be even more fascinating if Skubal went to a small-market NL contender like the Brewers, because that's the kind of acquisition that could help them upend the Dodgers, too.

L.A. will be at the center of all of this. It's either about the Dodgers helping themselves, or another team trying to be good enough to beat the Dodgers.