It’s unclear whether the Detroit Tigers will buy or sell at the Aug. 3 trade deadline. If they sell, left-hander Tarik Skubal, who is set to be a free agent at the end of this year, will be the top trade candidate on the market.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post named three teams that are expected to pursue Skubal.
Jon Heyman Names Cubs, Braves & Rays as Teams in the Mix for Tigers’ Tarik Skubal
GettyCLEVELAND, OHIO – OCTOBER 07: Tarik Skubal #29 of the Detroit Tigers reacts in the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians during Game Two of the Division Series at Progressive Field on October 07, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Heyman wrote: “The Rays, Cubs and Braves are expected to be among other prime players for two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, a free agent after the year.”
The Rays have the best record in the American League at 56-38 and lead the AL East by three games over the second-place New York Yankees. Tampa Bay’s starting rotation has been solid, but the team lacks depth beyond its starting five.
The Cubs are five games back of the Milwaukee Brewers for first place in the National League Central, but hold the first National League Wild Card spot with a 54-42 record. They’re in a good spot, but are dealing with numerous injuries to starting pitchers, including Jameson Taillon, Edward Cabrera, Ben Brown and Justin Steele.
The Braves are also in a good spot, sitting in first place in the National League East with a 55-40 record. However, their division lead could quickly go away, as the Philadelphia Phillies are just two games back and the Miami Marlins are four games back. Like the Cubs, the Braves are dealing with a large number of injuries to starting pitchers, including Spencer Strider, AJ Smith-Shawver, Spencer Schwellenbach and Martín Pérez.
Will Tigers Trade Tarik Skubal?
While the Tigers could receive a haul of promising prospects in a Skubal trade, the team may be inclined to keep the star left-hander.
Detroit had a rough start to the season, but has clawed its way back into postseason contention by winning nine of its last 12 games. The Tigers’ record still isn’t pretty, sitting at 44-52, but they’re just 3 1/2 games back of the Seattle Mariners and Minnesota Twins for the third American League Wild Card spot.
If Detroit continues to play well through the remainder of the month, teams interested in acquiring the left-hander will likely have to look elsewhere on the trade market for starting pitching help.
Many view Twins right-hander Joe Ryan as the next-best starting pitcher who could be traded at the deadline, but the Twins have also been hot lately, winning 10 of their last 15 games. Minnesota also acquired right-handed reliever Tommy Nance from the Toronto Blue Jays last week, which isn’t a blockbuster deal, but it signals the team plans to make a postseason run this year rather than sell at the deadline.
The Tigers still have a steep hill to climb in the postseason standings. But with how well they’ve been playing lately, it doesn’t seem far-fetched that they could emerge as a playoff contender within the next couple of weeks.
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