LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers are evaluating potential trade options as the August 3, 2026 deadline approaches in their pursuit of a third consecutive World Series. This evaluation coincides with uncertainty surrounding Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal, who remains with his team despite speculation about his future.

Skubal won the American League Cy Young Award in 2024 and 2025. He is a pending free agent after the 2026 season. Rival executives believe the Detroit Tigers are likely to keep Skubal through the August 3 trade deadline.

The Dodgers won the World Series in 2024 and 2025, becoming the first team to win back-to-back championships since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees. The franchise has won seven World Series titles in its history. The 2026 World Series will be the first to feature the Dodgers as defending champions since the 2017-2018 Houston Astros.

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman stated before the 2025 season, "I do not want to buy in July. I feel like the more times I say it out loud, the better chance it has to actually be a thing." Despite this stated preference, the organization has engaged in trade activity. At the 2025 trade deadline, the Dodgers traded for reliever Brock Stewart from the Minnesota Twins and outfielder Alex Call from the Washington Nationals. Stewart made four appearances for the Dodgers after the deadline before being injured.

In July 2025, the Dodgers also traded pitcher Dustin May to the Boston Red Sox for outfield prospects James Tibbs III and Zach Ehrhard. Tibbs and Ehrhard are hitting among the leaders at Triple-A Oklahoma City for the Dodgers. The organization maintains a deep pool of young talent.

Prospects Josue De Paula, Mike Sirota, Zyhir Hope, and Eduardo Quintero are ranked among the top 30 prospects in baseball by MLB.com. Prospect Charles Davalan, selected 41st overall in the 2025 draft, has an OPS over.900 in his first two minor-league seasons.

The current Dodgers roster features long-term commitments. Kyle Tucker and Teoscar Hernández are under contract with the Dodgers through at least the 2027 season. Tucker's contract includes opt-out clauses after the 2027 and 2028 seasons.

Andy Pages is under team control with the Dodgers through the 2030 season. The Dodgers offense ranks first in MLB in OPS as of July 2026. The pitching staff ranks in the top 10 in both rotation ERA and bullpen ERA as of July 2026.

Health and roster composition remain factors as the second half begins. Edwin Díaz, Blake Snell, and Tyler Glasnow are expected to return from injury for the Dodgers in the second half of the 2026 season. Catcher Will Smith is dealing with a neck injury that has taken longer than expected to resolve.

The team's pitching usage has evolved in recent postseasons. In the 2024 postseason, Dodgers relievers pitched 22 more innings than Dodgers starters. In Game 7 of the 2025 World Series, all six pitchers who appeared for the Dodgers had been starters at some point during the regular season.

Skubal's 2026 season included a period of absence. He underwent arthroscopic elbow surgery earlier in the 2026 season, causing him to miss more than five weeks. As of July 2026, Skubal has a 2.83 ERA and 82.2 innings pitched.

He holds a 6-5 record. On July 18, 2026, Skubal pitched seven scoreless innings with nine strikeouts against the Los Angeles Angels.

The Detroit Tigers are 4.5 games out of a playoff spot as of July 2026. The team has a 25-15 record since June 1, 2026. Other teams are also assessing the market.

The New York Yankees' top prospects George Lombard Jr. and Carlos Lagrange are not available for trade discussions. Ryan Jeffers is identified as a realistic trade target for teams seeking catching help, including the Yankees. Jeffers is a pending free agent after the 2026 season and has a career OPS+ of 110. In unrelated roster news, Bo Bichette signed a three-year, $126 million contract with the Mets that includes an opt-out after the 2026 season.

Friedman addressed the team's approach to defending their title in November 2025. "We’re gonna be extremely driven and do everything we can to put ourselves in the best position to do it again," he said.