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Dodgers Breakout Pitcher Named Top Trade Target Heading Into Offseason

Originally posted on Los Angeles Dodgers on SI
By Jason Fray | Last updated Oct 22, 2025 3:02 PM ET

Is there a world where the Los Angeles Dodgers would look to trade one of its most promising young arms?

Bleacher Report writer Kerry Miller believes that there's a possibility the Detroit Tigers could have some real interest in right-handed pitcher Emmet Sheehan.

The Tigers may be in need of another starter given the ambiguity surrounding an extension for Tarik Skubal, as well as the possibility Jack Flaherty walks in free agency.

As Miller details, Sheehan would appear to be a perfect for the Tigers given their need for another arm, and the surplus the Dodgers have on their roster/in their farm system.

"It might be Tarik Skubal's final season on the roster, and the Tigers simply have to provide him with more of a supporting cast than he has had over the past two seasons, in which his 12.6 fWAR almost matched that of the rest of the rotation combined. They should have more than enough room in the budget to sign one of the big arms available in free agency, but trading for a staple could be huge, too. Whether the Dodgers would actually part with Sheehan is debatable, but it's undeniably a good place to go shopping, given the sheer volume of starting pitchers on that payroll."

There's little reason for the Dodgers to trade a controllable asset that has legitimate top-of-the-rotation talent. Sheehan technically is under team control until 2029 (being arbitration eligible from 2027-29).

Sheehan had a breakout season in 2025. He toggled between being a starter and a reliever, and the stuff has developed to the point that if the Dodgers go with a six-man rotation in 2026, Sheehan is a sure bet to be one of those starters (along with Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, and Roki Sasaki.

While the Dodgers do crave depth at virtually every position, the surplus of starting pitching within the organization could lead to some sort of trade. Assuming Sheehan stays put, a deal involving Gavin Stone and/or River Ryan wouldn't be out of the realm of possibilities.

The team does need to get younger in general moving forward. While substantial changes may not occur, a reshaping of the roster could very well be in the cards this winter.