Dodgers Rumors: Skubal, Lauer, Call, Catcher

With Tarik Skubal likely to see his name kicked around the rumor circuit over the next week — whether the Tigers actually move him or not — the Dodgers will continue to be the trendy pick for a potential landing spot in the event of an eventual deal. Los Angeles president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman is no stranger to big-game hunting in free agency or on the trade market, and the Dodgers have the type of pitching depth and stacked farm system that make them a fit even if the asking price is a controllable starter and top-tier prospects. Despite what’ll surely be a wave of speculation, Maddie Lee of the L.A. Times reports that the Dodgers aren’t moving toward a trade for Skubal. Lee adds that uncertainty regarding Shohei Ohtani‘s ailing knee has not changed the Dodgers’ deadline approach thus far and is not expected to do so. Obviously, a major injury or setback for any of the team’s top arms could alter things, but for the time being, it doesn’t sound as though L.A. has been especially aggressive or even active on Skubal to this point. Certainly, that could just be a function of the Tigers’ reluctance to seriously consider the possibility; Detroit is 28-18 since June 1. The Tigers are 3.5 games back of a Wild Card spot and six back in the American League Central. They just dropped two of three in what should’ve been a very winnable series versus a Bobby Witt Jr.-less Royals club. Detroit now hosts the Orioles for three before heading to West Sacramento for three against the A’s. If Detroit stumbles in the standings this week and winds up firmly listening on Skubal, Katie Woo of The Athletic unsurprisingly suggests that the Dodgers will at least be engaged (although that’s likely true of most contenders). Two names the Dodgers could look to move — not as part of a theoretical Skubal package but just in general — are lefty Eric Lauer and outfielder Alex Call, Woo further reports. Lauer has been a big boost since coming over from the Jays for cash earlier this season, stabilizing an injury-plagued rotation with steady innings. Lauer was roughed up for a 6.69 ERA in eight games with Toronto before being designated for assignment, but since landing in L.A., Lauer has a 3.35 ERA in 45 2/3 frames. His 14.1% strikeout rate as a Dodger is near the bottom of the league, but Lauer sports a strong 6.5% walk rate and has rarely allows hard contact. Opponents have averaged an awful 86.3 mph off the bat with a similarly feeble 30.6% hard-hit rate since he changed clubs. A free agent at season’s end, Lauer is earning $4.4MM this season. As of this writing, there’s about $1.44MM of that sum yet to be paid out. By the time the deadline rolls around, that number will have fallen to $1.32MM. That’s a relatively affordable sum for any team in need of rotation help. Granted, there’s risk in thinning out the starting depth midseason, but the Dodgers won’t have a spot in the postseason rotation for Lauer and might even be hard-pressed to squeeze him into the playoff bullpen if everyone is healthy. As Woo notes, they were in a similar spot with Dustin May this time last year and wound up trading him for prospects, including outfielder James Tibbs III, who has raised his stock nicely with the Dodgers. Call, who’ll turn 32 at season’s end, is hitting .246/.355/.314 on the season. His power hasn’t shown up like it did last year, but the righty-swinging outfielder has walked at a career-high 12.8% clip against a 17% strikeout rate that’s well shy of league average. He’s beating up lefties at a .326/.418/.457 pace this season. Dating back to 2023, he’s batting .278/.358/.432 clip when holding the platoon advantage (119 wRC+). It’s not directly analogous, but there are some parallels with Call and Lauer. Granted, Call isn’t an impending free agent — the Dodgers control him three more years after this one — but he may have a tough time cracking the playoff roster, given the organization’s depth. Teoscar Hernandez, Tommy Edman and Kiké Hernandez will all be in the outfield mix alongside center fielder Andy Pages and right fielder Kyle Tucker. The previously mentioned Tibbs has been terrific in Triple-A this season. Younger outfielders Josue De Paula, Mike Sirota and Zyhir Hope — all of them top-100 prospects — have each raked against Double-A pitching this season and aren’t far from major league readiness. De Paula will need to be added to the 40-man roster this winter anyhow in order to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. Given the number of clubs looking for right-handed bats and/or rotation depth, the Dodgers could look to opportunistically spin Lauer, Call or both to other clubs in order to address other roster needs or simply build up the farm. The Dodgers don’t have too many areas of clear need, but both Woo and Lee suggest that Friedman and his staff could look to add some catching depth. Dalton Rushing is doing well in place of currently injured Will Smith, who’ll be out until at least mid-August due to a disc injury in his neck. That’s a best-case scenario for Smith’s return, but there’s a fair bit of uncertainty surrounding his exact timeline. Currently, the Dodgers have 26-year-old rookie Eliezer Alfonzo on the roster as a backup to Rushing. Journeyman Chuckie Robinson is in Triple-A but not on the 40-man roster. Adding a short-term option to back up Rushing and provide insurance — either against a Smith setback or an injury to Rushing himself — would be prudent. With Smith signed through 2033 and Rushing controlled through 2031, a rental option seems like the best fit — at least on paper. Jonah Heim makes sense as a rental option on an A’s club that’s firmly out of the race. Minnesota’s Ryan Jeffers and Cincinnati’s Tyler Stephenson are both frequently suggested trade possibilities, with the former seeming all but certain to change hands given the Reds’ seller status. Other clubs might be willing to pay more, prospect-wise, for someone like Jeffers or Stephenson, however; teams like the Yankees, Rays, White Sox and Rangers are among those pursuing catching help. All would have larger roles in mind for a Stephenson or Jeffers and thus might be more aggressive in their pursuit.