The Philadelphia Phillies may not be in the best spot, as their 30-29 record has them sitting just one game above .500, but considering where they were to begin the year, that is a marked improvement. While winning the National League East division may already be out of their reach, making a wild-card run is still very much in the question.
While the Phillies have been better as of late, they haven’t exactly been the sort of World Series contender folks were expecting them to be entering the year. The front office has made it clear they expect this team to win right now, so if they continue to remain in playoff contention, that could lead to them swinging a trade for Detroit Tigers superstar starting pitcher Tarik Skubal.
Insider Links Phillies to Tarik Skubal Trade
Philadelphia has managed to turn its season around on the back of its pitching staff, so on paper, at least, it would seemingly need more help in its lineup. Besides Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, and Brandon Marsh, the Phillies aren’t getting any sort of consistent production when it comes to scoring runs. In a lot of ways, it’s a miracle they are above the .500 mark right now.
With that in mind, adding Skubal seemingly wouldn’t make much sense. Cristopher Sanchez is currently the frontrunner for the National League Cy Young Award, and Zack Wheeler has been exceptional since making his return from the injured list. And yet, adding a pitcher of Skubal’s caliber could simply be too good an opportunity for the team to pass up on.
General manager Dave Dombrowski is known for being one of the most aggressive executives in the majors, so if Philadelphia can hang around in playoff contention, it could decide to make a massive move for Skubal. If you ask MLB insider Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, he doesn’t necessarily think the Phillies are the favorite to land Skubal, but he’s not going to rule them out, strictly because of the presence of Dombrowski and team owner John Middleton.
“I don’t know if they would actually do it when they would have other needs, of course, but at the same time, I just don’t rule out Dombrowski and Middleton in a situation like this,” Rosenthal said on “Foul Territory.”
Should the Phillies 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)
Skubal is fresh off back-to-back Cy Young campaigns for the Tigers, and before he was forced to undergo surgery on his throwing elbow, he was the heavy favorite to take home the award again this year (3-2, 2.70 ERA, 45 K, 0.95 WHIP through his first seven starts). Pairing him up with Sanchez would undoubtedly give Philadelphia the best one-two punch in the majors.
And yet, the starting rotation isn’t necessarily the team’s biggest need right now. Sure, Jesus Luzardo, Aaron Nola, and Andrew Painter have been inconsistent, but the lineup desperately needs more help. The problem is that acquiring the sort of hitter Philadelphia needs before the trade deadline may not be possible, but this team can never be counted out to make a big move, which is why it is a real threat to land Skubal, even if it doesn’t desperately need him.
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