Matt Johnson
The Detroit Tigers knew coming into the season that a Tarik Skubal trade would need to be explored if the club was out of playoff contention by the summer. With a contract extension off the table and MLB trade rumors starting to hear up, it appears the two-time Cy Young Award winner might be moved.
Let’s dive into our rankings of the top landing spots for Skubal.
1. Tampa Bay Rays
While the Tampa Bay Rays don’t often make blockbuster trades as buyers, they certainly pursue them. A deal for Tarik Skubal as purely a half-season rental is right up the front office’s alley. Tampa Bay’s rotation finished May with the fourth-lowest ERA (3.54) in baseball, but Steven Matz was just demoted to the bullpen and neither Nick Martinez nor Griffin Jax profile as playoff-caliber starters. With the depth of talent in the Rays’ farm system, they can afford to give up prospect capital for just one summer of the best pitcher in baseball. This would be the caliber of addition that would better position Tampa Bay to win the AL East for the first time since 2021.
Related: 5 MLB Trades We’d Love to See
2. Chicago Cubs
On May 8, the Chicago Cubs had a 27-12 record and looked like World Series contenders. They entered play on Sunday with a 34-31 record. That tends to happen when your rotation is decimated by injuries. On paper, Chicago seems like the perfect landing spot for a Tarik Skubal trade. We do, however, wonder if ownership would be willing to absorb his entire salary to reduce the prospect capital it needed to give up for the reigning AL Cy Young winner. Skubal would be a great addition for the Cubs’ title hopes and we’ve seen this front office take gambles on a rental (Kyle Tucker) before. There is a lingering thought, though, that the club might prioritize acquiring multiple starting pitchers instead of just a single ace.
Related: Insider Proposes Potential Tarik Skubal Trade for Cubs
3. San Diego Padres
It’s certainly fair to say that the San Diego Padres’ lineup is the club’s biggest problem right now. However, it’s also worth keeping in mind that the Padres rotation entered play on June 7 with the third-fewest quality starts (13) and that has put immense stress on the bullpen. San Diego needs an ace, especially one of Skubal’s caliber, who would push Michael King and Randy Vasquez into roles they are better suited for. Skubal being a pure half-season rental reduces the prospect capital required to land him, which is really the only reason San Diego can be in the mix to acquire him despite a weakened farm system.
Related: San Diego Padres Eyeing Trade for 2 Relievers
4. Milwaukee Brewers
We would rank the Milwaukee Brewers higher than this, but the M.O. of this organization is typically trading away All-Stars on expiring contracts rather than acquiring them. Milwaukee also boasts tremendous pitching depth and its rotation finished May with the lowest ERA (2.76) in the majors. With that said, there could be a golden opportunity here. Acquiring Tarik Skubal would set a Brewers’ playoff rotation with two No. 1 starters including Jacob Misiorowski. That also pushes Kyle Harrison (1.57 ERA) into a No. 3 role that he could dominate in, all with either Brandon Woodruff or Logan Henderson working as the fourth starter in October. If ownership would be willing to sign off on a big move like this, the Brewers should aggressively pursue it.
Related: Insider Names 2 Surprise Potential Tarik Skubal Suitors
5. New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are going to be one of the most common teams thrown out as a possibility for a Tarik Skubal trade. We get why. Come October, New York could trot out a pitching staff of Skubal, Cam Schlittler, Gerrit Cole and Max Fried. This acquisition would also allow the club to shift Ryan Weathers into the bullpen to preserve his arm long-term. It all makes sense. We just question if Brian Cashman will prioritize bigger needs—catcher, third base and bullpen—over the luxury of acquiring Skubal for half a season.
Related: New York Yankees Trade Targets
