There might not be a team in Major League Baseball with more of a need for Tarik Skubal than the Chicago Cubs. After poor performances and several injuries, it looks like if the Cubs don’t get things together, they could miss the MLB playoffs altogether.
While it remains unclear if Skubal will actually be traded this season, the speculation and rumors are at an all-time high, and even ESPN.com got a piece of the action with their recent article that details nine Tarik Skubal trade ideas for teams that make sense for the reigning AL Cy Young winner, and of course, the Cubbies are one of those teams, but how much prospect capital would it actually take for Chicago to pull off the trade of the season across MLB, and salvage its pitching staff?
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Cubs Trade Proposal for Tarik Skubal Offloads Three Top Prospects
GettyDETROIT, MI – MAY 28: Pitchers Justin Verlander #35 of the Detroit Tigers and Tarik Skubal #29, right, who are both on the injured list, watch from the dugout during the second inning of a game against the Los Angeles Angels at Comerica Park on May 28, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)
Here is what ESPN.com came up with as a reasonable trade proposal for Tarik Skubal:
“The offer: INF Pedro Ramirez, OF Kevin Alcantara and RHP Jaxon Wiggins”
“Ramirez and outfielder Alcantara fit that window. Ramirez slashed .312/.395/.547 with nine home runs in 43 games in Triple-A before getting his first call up to the majors. Alcantara has huge power — he has 15 home runs in 41 Triple-A games this season — and the arm for right field at the big league level. Both could help Detroit immediately and build on a core featuring Kevin McGonigle, Riley Greene, Dillon Dingler and, eventually, Max Clark.”
Look, I’m gonna have to push back a little bit on this trade proposal for the Cubs for the obvious reason that Tarik Skubal would just be a rental addition, and if the Cubs don’t plan on paying Skubal the largest pitching contract in MLB history after the season, this is wayyy too much to give up, and this trade idea would greatly benefit the Detroit Tigers and their future.
I get that the Cubs may be desperate to add a starting pitcher, but there are certainly going to be pieces of value on the SP market this trade cycle that cost much less than three top-10 prospects for a rental starter.
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What is the Cubs’ Trade Deadline Plan?
The Chicago Cubs are seriously in hot water in the NL Central and are on the verge of falling into last place if they don’t get their act together.
Making this trade (as proposed by ESPN.com) with the Tigers seems like a panic move, and it might be, but I think it highlights the overarching point of how bad the Cubs need to add pitching, and they can’t run away from it anymore.
Since May 8, the Chicago Cubs are 7-20, which has resulted in a large drop in the NL Central standings. The losing stretch has certainly been a combination of hitting and pitching at times, but there have been several games where the Cubs’ pitching staff just hasn’t really even given the offense much of a chance.
Is trading for Tarik Skubal the answer? I mean, it would certainly help drastically, but how much of your future do you want to throw away for one player for 2-3 months? That’s the million-dollar question Jed Hoyer must be asking himself.
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