Who says the Atlanta Braves aren’t in play for Detroit Tigers star southpaw Tarik Skubal?
Certainly not ESPN’s Jeff Passan, who recently released a MLB trade deadline guide for all 30 MLB teams, and for the Braves, Passan believes Atlanta should ‘swing big’, which includes going after the top dawg in the trade carousel, Tarik Skubal:
“Objective: Swing big.
Best fit: Tarik Skubal (or CJ Abrams)”
Interesting take from Mr. Passan, but how much sense (and substance) does the Braves trading for Tarik Skubal make?
Every MLB team is going to be rumored to land the 2X Cy Young ace if he’s going to be on the market, which the Tigers are unsure about currently, but the thought of him being moved looks plausible.
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Why Does Jeff Passan Believe the Braves Can Trade for Tarik Skubal?
GettyARLINGTON, TEXAS – JULY 20: Tarik Skubal #29 of the Detroit Tigers watches action during the fifth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on July 20, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
The Atlanta Braves have been the best team in MLB this season with a 42-21 record, but think about their rotation with Chris Sale and Tarik Skubal as a 1-2 punch.
Here’s Jeff Passan on why the Braves may ‘swing big’ this trade cycle:
“So why Skubal? Because he’s Skubal. And because all those young arms — not to mention J.R. Ritchie and Cam Caminiti in the minor leagues, and Didier Fuentes at the big league level — give them the firepower to get him. To beat the Dodgers, teams need to assemble a wrecking crew that can go toe-to-toe with the first back-to-back World Series champions in a quarter-century.”
It’s a fair assessment by Passan that the Braves do need to assemble a bit of a stronger rotation to compete with the Dodgers in October, who are doing just fine without Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow sidelined for the last month.
So, what would a realistic and feasible trade package look like for the Braves to acquire Skubal?
Trade Package to Complete Tarik Skubal-Braves Idea
GettyCLEVELAND, OHIO – JULY 06: Starting pitcher Tarik Skubal #29 of the Detroit Tigers celebrates after the last out of the seventh inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on July 06, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Remember, Tarik Skubal is a rental addition if he does happen to be dealt, and let’s, for argument’s sake, assume the Braves won’t be inking Skubal to the largest contract for a pitcher in MLB history.
Alex Anthopoulos was able to recover from the savvy moves he made in 2021 by sending off several top prospects away to acquire players that helped lift the Braves to a Fall Classic victory.
This is the same situation, except it’s just one player the Braves need to target.
Here’s a hypothetical trade package the Braves could put together to acquire Tarik Skubal:
- Detroit Tigers receive: RHP Didier Fuentes, RHP AJ Smith-Shawver, SS John Gil
- Braves receive: LHP Tarik Skubal
Look, the Braves probably don’t want to part with both Cam Caminiti and J.R. Ritchie, but what if they didn’t have to part with either? Didier Fuentes, as Passan hits on, is the catalyst in this proposed trade, and Smith-Shawver is a projectable right-hander with big league experience as well. Maybe you throw in Grant Holmes or Ritchie instead of Smith-Shawver, but remember the Braves can fleece the Tigers here because it’s a rental trade.
As for the financials, Atlanta should certainly have around $12-15 million to cover the rest of Skubal’s 2026 salary.
It’s food for thought, but if the Yankees, Blue Jays, and Padres are all rumored to land Skubal, why can’t the Atlanta Braves be too?
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