Tarik Skubal is on his way out of Detroit. That is the growing belief across the industry, and the list of teams that want to be his next destination is getting longer by the day.
The Tigers ace has been out since early May with an elbow injury. He underwent surgery to remove bone chips from his left elbow and is just now making his first rehab start with High-A West Michigan. The Tigers have not been the playoff team they were last year. Skubal is a pending free agent. The math points one direction.
Every contender is going to check in. The Dodgers and Yankees lead the way, but the Padres, Phillies, Braves, Cubs, Blue Jays, Orioles, Brewers and Rays are all going to look. That is what happens when one of the best pitchers in baseball becomes available.
The Yankees situation got more interesting after the Aaron Judge injury news. Judge is out with a rib stress fracture until at least August, which puts more pressure on the rotation to keep the team in playoff position. Cashman was already prioritizing starting pitching. Now the urgency is real.
The Dodgers are similarly motivated. Tyler Glasnow just moved to the 60-day IL. Blake Snell is still recovering. Their rotation depth is depleted at a moment when the rest of the National League is making real moves. Adding Skubal would give them a clear path to another deep October run.
The price tag is the question. Skubal is owed roughly the remainder of his $32 million salary. He is a pure rental. He is not eligible for a qualifying offer as a midseason trade. All of that depresses the return for Detroit. The Tigers are not going to get a Juan Soto-level package for him.
What they will get is real. A team-controlled prospect. A young big-leaguer. Maybe two. That is enough to start a real rebuild around the core they already have.
For Skubal, the move makes sense too. He is going to be one of the most pursued free agents next winter. Going to a contender for the second half of this season is the perfect platform to show that his elbow is right and his stuff is back. A strong few months on a contender turns into a record-breaking contract.
The Tigers are going to be in tough position selling. They were just in the World Series last year. The fanbase is invested. The team has been competitive enough this season that some fans are still hoping for a playoff push. Trading the ace in late July is going to feel like a punch in the gut, even if it is the right baseball decision.
The recovery has been the main variable. Skubal has been throwing again. The reports out of his bullpens have been positive. If the rehab start goes well, the Tigers are going to have a small window to maximize his value before the deadline. They have to move quickly, but they cannot move so quickly that they sell low.
The Dodgers and Yankees are going to be the favorites for any starting pitcher available this summer. Skubal at the top of the list. Alcantara behind him. Maybe a couple of others. Whichever of those teams ends up with both of the top two arms is going to be the World Series favorite by August 1.
Buckle up.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
