It is no secret that the Atlanta Braves are in the market to trade for a starting pitcher, prompting plenty of MLB rumors about who the club could target. The Braves continue to be mentioned as a top landing spot for the biggest fish on the market ahead of the MLB trade deadline.
Time will tell if the Detroit Tigers will finally trade star pitcher Tarik Skubal. ESPN’s Jeff Passan named the Braves as the best fit for a Skubal trade.
The insider believes the Braves can be the big winners in the Skubal sweepstakes if Atlanta is willing to part with some of the club’s top prospects.
“Skubal and Sale. Sale and Skubal. It’s a dream top of the rotation, and it’s within Atlanta’s reach if it’s willing to take a hefty hack at its prospect depth,” Passan wrote in a July 30, 2026, story titled, “2026 MLB trade deadline preview: Passan’s intel on every team.”
“Start with breakout outfielder Eric Hartman, add a young, big league-ready arm and stack a couple of more prospects on top of that, and at very least it gets you into the conversation — and maybe winds up with Tarik Skubal starting Game 1 of a wild-card series and Chris Sale in Game 2.”
Let’s explore the latest MLB rumors.
Braves Rumors: Trade Target Tarik Skubal’s Market Value Is an 8-Year, $317 Million Contract
Part of the reason why Skubal is being floated in trade rumors is the pitcher is headed for a massive payday. Skubal is in the final months of a one-year, $32 million contract.
Spotrac projects Skubal’s market value to be a sizable eight-year, $317 million contract. A team like the Braves would not only need to part with a haul of assets in a trade package but be prepared to sign Skubal to a lucrative new deal.
MLB Trade Rumors: The Tigers Are Expected to Cut Ties With Tarik Skubal Via Blockbuster Deal
Passan has labeled Skubal as the Braves’ best fit, but the Los Angeles Dodgers as the favorites to land the coveted pitcher. Yet, plenty can change before the trade deadline on Monday, August 3.
All signs point to the Tigers parting ways with Skubal in the coming days, per Passan, but the question is what team will meet the Tigers’ asking price.
“One of the biggest deadline trades this century is days away from happening,” Passan noted. “The Tarik Skubal sweepstakes has arrived — not officially from the Detroit Tigers, but telegraphed through the preparations of the interested teams with means to get him by the 6 p.m. ET deadline on Monday.
“… The team with the fourth-best record, Atlanta, would love to pair Skubal with Chris Sale and form the best duo of left-handed starters since Rube Waddell and Eddie Plank dominated for Connie Mack’s Philadelphia A’s in the early 1900s.”
Braves News: What Would an Atlanta Trade Package Look Like for Tigers Pitcher Tarik Skubal?
What would the Braves need to give up in a potential Skubal trade? Atlanta would likely need to send multiple pitching prospects along with a shortstop to the Tigers, per MLB.com’s Mark Bowman.
“Along with having a definite need for Skubal, the Braves also have both the financial resources and prospect capital necessary to acquire him,” Bowman detailed in a July 30, article titled, “Who has the package to tempt Tigers for Skubal?.”
“Jurickson Profar’s suspension took $15 million off this year’s payroll. But the key might be the significant improvement of Atlanta’s farm system. Eric Hartman (MLB No. 74) has become one of the game’s most intriguing prospects. Cam Caminiti (MLB No. 41 and Braves No. 1) and Briggs McKenzie (Braves No. 4) are among the arms that could draw interest.”
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