Dodgers rumors: The pitcher LA may pivot to if Tarik Skubal is traded elsewhere

As the Los Angeles Dodgers have been linked to Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal ahead of Monday’s trade deadline, there are likely to be backup options if the team isn’t able to land the star. While rumors will continue to swirl around the Dodgers and Skubal, these MLB insiders label the one pitcher from the New York Mets that could be in play.

Katie Woo and Fabian Ardaya’s latest piece for The Athletic would speak about how, although Los Angeles could be best in place to acquire Skubal with a package that combines players from their farm system and ready-to-go pitching, they could be looking at other options.

One of them would be Mets’ Clay Holmes, as the Dodgers sent scouts to watch his recent rehab outing, as he’s recovering from a fibula fracture.

“The Athletic reported that the Dodgers were among the clubs who sent scouts to see New York Mets right-hander Clay Holmes during his latest rehab appearance in Dunedin, Fla,” Woo and Ardaya wrote on Friday. “[Holmes] presents an intriguing alternative should the Dodgers want to add another arm given the fluid nature of their pitching staff.”

The role that Clay Holmes can play with the Dodgers

Despite the fibula injury, Holmes has been impressive for the Mets, recording a 2.39 ERA to go along with 45 strikeouts and a 4-4 record in nine starts. With the injuries in the Dodgers’ rotation, with Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Shohei Ohtani not pitching, Holmes would be a quality addition this season.

Even when Los Angeles’ starting rotation gets fully healthy, The Athletic would make the point that the Dodgers could use Holmes in a “relief role,” which he did great as when with the New York Yankees as the closer from 2021 to 2024.

“He could be classified as a rental, as he has a $12 million player option for 2027 he is expected to decline,” Woo and Ardaya wrote. “But if the Dodgers have their rotation at full strength in October, Holmes could slot into a relief role.”

At any rate, it remains to be seen if Los Angeles trades for Skubal or Holmes.

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