With the Detroit Tigers’ season quickly plummeting away, the likelihood of Tarik Skubal reaching the trade block this summer is rapidly increasing.

ESPN baseball insider Buster Olney appeared on Pardon The Interruption on Thursday afternoon and said he views the Dodgers as one of three favorites to land the Tigers’ lefty.

“If he is traded, pay attention to some of the usual suspects,” Olney said. “Teams like the Dodgers, like the Phillies, I think the San Diego Padres will be an interesting team to watch because obviously Skubal could be a difference maker for that rotation.”

Skubal is among the best pitchers in baseball right now and is the reigning back-to-back CY Young winner over the last two years after pitching below a 2.40 ERA and striking out over 200 batters during this stretch.

As per usual, Skubal has brought the same type of production this year, owning a 3-2 record with a 2.70 ERA and 45 punchouts. But on May 4, his season came to an abrupt halt, being placed on the injured list due to loose bodies in his left elbow.

Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal throwing a pitch. Getty Images

Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani, reacts with Tommy Edman, Hyeseom Kim, Alex Call, and Mookie Betts. AP Photo/Ryan Sun

With his ongoing absence from the Tigers’ starting rotation, Detroit’s season is rapidly declining after reaching the playoffs the last two years.

The Tigers have the worst record in baseball [22-35], and Skubal will be eligible for free agency this offseason, making a trade seem almost inevitable.

“Tarik Skubal, who is going to be a free agent in the fall, is going to bring back a ton of value,” Olney said.

If the Dodgers win the Skubal sweepstakes this summer, they will have one of the best pitching rotations in baseball as it will feature him, Shohei Ohtani [who is having one of the best seasons in baseball], World Series hero Yoshinobu Yamamoto, as well as Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow.

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