Ex-Seminole James Tibbs’ Breakout Could Spark Dodgers Trade

With no room at the inn, could former Florida State standout James Tibbs III be on the move with the MLB trade deadline looming?

Tibbs, the Los Angeles Dodgers ' ninth-ranked prospect, has done enough on the field to show he's ready for a call-up. The former Seminole's star  is batting .293 with a .967 OPS In 92 games. So far this season he has 98 hits, 21 home runs and 21 doubles in 335 at-bats for Triple-A Oklahoma City this season.

James Tibbs III, acquired by the Dodgers along with Zach Ehrhard for Dustin May last deadline, has a 3-HR game today for OKC.

His updated stats at Triple-A:

.529 AVG
7 HR
13 RBIs
1.903 OPS

He is playing out of his mind right now. Just unreal.pic.twitter.com/tzMTDdE9lm

— Noah Camras (@noahcamras) April 5, 2026

For many organizations, that production would likely earn a prospect a chance in the majors.

The problem for Tibbs isn't his production; it's opportunity and in Los Angeles, opportunity is the one thing the former Florida State star may not find.

The Dodgers have one of, if not the deepest, rosters in Major League Baseball, leaving no room for Tibbs at the major league level. Combined with the Dodgers' win-now championship mentality rather than developing prospects, the chances of Tibbs earning a call-up appear slim to none at this point.

LA is built with one goal in mind: be the first team to win three straight World Series titles since the New York Yankees did from 1998- 2000. For the Dodgers, every move they make is about the impact it will have in October.

And for players like Tibbs, who likely won't play a role this season, his production has only increased his value. He could become one of the major pieces needed to acquire a player who will play a part when October hits.

And what the Dodgers could be looking for is another front-end starter now that Shohei Ohtani's next start is unknown. Ohtani has been ruled out due to irritation and inflammation in his left knee. According to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts on Sunday, it could be some time before Ohtani takes the mound again.

“I’d say that it’s not going to be a day-to-day thing.” Rober's Said.

The latest update on Ohtani, however, looks more promising. Ohtani threw off the mound Wednesday, tossing approximately 30 pitches, and when asked by pitching coach Mark Prior after how he felt it was good news.  

"How did you feel throwing? He said it felt great,"  Prior said.

However, despite the encouraging news, it would come as no surprise if the Dodgers still look to strengthen their starting rotation. And Tibbs could become one of the pieces the Dodgers use in an attempt to acquire said frontline starter, with Tigers ace Tarik Skubal being the type of player  the Dodgers would likely target.

According to The Athletic, the Tigers are seeking a controllable starting pitcher along with quality prospects. 

What the Tigers reportedly want, the Dodgers have to give with the No. 1 farm system in baseball according to USA Today. It leaves fans wondering: would some kind of package centered around Emmet Sheehan, who is under team control through 2030, along with  the No. 9 prospect Tibbs and the No. 11 prospect Adam Serwinowski, be enough to get a deal done?

The Tigers are seeking a controllable starting pitcher as part of any Tarik Skubal trade, per @Ken_Rosenthal. Potential fits include:

Emmet Sheehan
Logan Henderson
Ian Seymour
Andrew Painter
JR Ritchie or AJ Smith-Shawver
Will Warren or Ryan Weathers pic.twitter.com/fEMtAnswe0

— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) July 22, 2026

For Tibbs this is not the first time the former Florida State standout would be included in a trade. Tibbs has been a key trade piece twice in his short MLB career. In June of 2025, he was traded from the San Francisco Giants to the Boston Red Sox's as part of the blockbuster deal that sent Rafael Devers to San Francisco. Then just over a month later, Boston dealt him to the Dodgers in exchange for Dustin May.

Now the question is whether a package built around Tibbs, along with additional prospects and a starting pitcher, would be enough to convince the Tigers or another club to make a deal.

For Tibbs, his value has never been higher, making him an extremely intriguing trade piece. But regardless of whether Tibbs stays with the Dodgers or is traded again, the former Seminole's standout, ACC Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year, is proving it's only a matter if time before he earn a shot in big leagues.  

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