Yankees Interested in Tarik Skubal: Will the Tigers Trade Their Ace at the Deadline?
The Yankees are calling about Tarik Skubal.
According to CBS Sports and multiple national reports, the New York Yankees are expected to kick the tires on a potential deal for the Tigers ace ahead of the August 3 trade deadline. New York wants to add front-line pitching, and Skubal is the biggest prize on the market by a considerable margin.
He is also not the easiest trade target. The two-time defending American League Cy Young winner is under contract only through the end of this season. Whichever team gets him is essentially renting him for 60 games and a playoff run, and Skubal has been vocal about wanting to test free agency next winter. This is a rental in every sense of the word.
Detroit is not officially ready to sell. General manager Scott Harris has been careful in his public comments, saying only that the front office will assess the roster at the appropriate time. Behind the scenes, the Tigers are absolutely evaluating whether to make Skubal available or push for one more run with him.
Skubal himself dropped a fascinating quote earlier this month, telling reporters that “the reality is we need to play better baseball or else, come the deadline, you give the front office an option to reassess where this team is.” That is a player publicly acknowledging that a trade is a possibility if the team’s performance does not improve. Star players do not talk like that unless they have already had internal conversations about the possibility.
The Yankees are not alone. Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that there will be a bidding war for Skubal not seen since Juan Soto went to the San Diego Padres in 2022. Every legitimate contender will be interested. The Dodgers are involved. The Braves are involved. The Cubs are involved. The Brewers have quietly been mentioned in some of the packages that make sense.
What makes the Yankees interesting is the combination of prospect capital and immediate need. New York has an elite farm system built around several top-100 prospects. They also have a rotation that has been decimated by injuries. A Skubal addition would slot him at the top of a playoff staff and immediately position the Yankees as the AL favorite.
The problem is the cost. The Tigers are going to demand a Godfather offer. Recent rental ace trades have typically returned one elite prospect and 2-3 lesser prospects. For Skubal, the price will start higher. Detroit will want a top-15 prospect in baseball to headline the deal, plus multiple secondary pieces.
The Yankees can pay that price if they want to. Whether they should is a different question. Trading a top prospect for two months of a pitcher is a big gamble, especially when your window with Aaron Judge is not closing next year. It is closing this year, however, if the season keeps trending the way it has.
Skubal on Tuesday struck out nine batters in six innings against the Yankees, giving up just two runs on one hit. That was a live audition. Every scout in the building was watching. Every general manager in baseball was texting notes to their front office. He is the guy, and the price is only going up.
Detroit’s next 30 games will decide everything. If the Tigers stay in the race, Skubal is not going anywhere. If they slip, the bidding war Passan predicted becomes a certainty. And the Yankees will be at the front of the line.
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.
