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Look, it might not happen, but fair warning to anyone worried that the Dodgers already have an unfair advantage…

The Dodgers could end up in the Tarik Skubal sweepstakes.

As Ken Rosenthal explained earlier this week, this is mostly because Shohei Ohtani is hurt and not pitching. Ohtani had been excellent on the mound this season, but if he’s going to be just a DH for the foreseeable future, the Dodgers might want to replace his arm, and who better to do that than a back-to-back Cy Young winner. Here’s what Ken wrote:

For weeks now, all we’ve heard from the Dodgers is talk about how their pitching cavalry is returning, how they’re eager to make prospect-for-prospect trades, how they might be more likely to sell than buy.

Sure. OK. And if the Detroit Tigers are willing to deal Skubal, at a time when Ohtani is dealing with two different ailments that have kept him off the mound since July 3, the Dodgers are just going to point to their $400 million payroll and say, “Nah, we’re good?”

Nope. Not with greater payroll restrictions coming in the next collective-bargaining agreement, in one form or another. And not with the Dodgers seeking to become the first team to win three consecutive Series titles since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees.

We’re just saying, prepare yourself mentally and emotionally for the possibility of Skubal in a Dodgers uniform.