The Toronto Blue Jays won the American League pennant in 2025 and came just one win short of their first World Series title since 1993. They were only two outs away from defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7.
However, they landed Dylan Cease in free agency to bolster their starting rotation and also were able to keep Max Scherzer around for one more season. They look to be a threat to return to the World Series in 2026, and if the Cease signing was any indication, they are willing to pull out all the stops to get back to the fall classic.
They could be a team that goes big at the trade deadline. Mike Axisa of CBS Sports predicts that they will be one of the teams showing interest in left-hander Tarik Skubal if the Detroit Tigers fall out of contention, with the Dodgers and New York Yankees also named fits.
“The Tigers had a rough finish to 2025, particularly on offense, and that’s not something Framber Valdez and Justin Verlander will fix,” Axisa wrote. “A middling offense and untimely pitching injuries could push the Tigers out of the race and put Skubal on the block. Even as a rental with an enormous salary (he would still be owed about $10 million at the trade deadline), the bidding war for Skubal would be fierce. He’s a balance of power player, someone who can swing a division race or a postseason series all by himself.
Toronto Blue Jays Linked to Tarik Skubal
Skubal has won back-to-back AL Cy Young awards. He was a 13-game winner last season, posting a 2.21 ERA in 31 starts and striking out 241 batters over 195 1/3 innings pitched.
In addition, he is a two-time All-Star and also has won the pitching Triple Crown. He is in the final year of his contract, but given that he is one of the top starting pitchers in the league, he could command quite a haul.
It remains to be seen if a team like the Blue Jays will cough up the prospects to get a deal done. But in the event that they do trade for Skubal, they could have arguably the best starting rotation in Major League Baseball. They already have Scherzer, Cease, Shane Bieber, Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage and Cody Ponce as their current options, but adding Skubal to that mix could potentially be what they need if they hope to dethrone the Dodgers, who have now won back-to-back titles.
What It Would Mean for the Blue Jays
The Blue Jays could certainly make themselves the clear favorite to win the AL East by making this potential move at the deadline. It also might make them the favorites to win their first title in over three decades.
They will be hungry after falling short against the Dodgers, and they could prove their desire to win by making this move. It will be interesting to see what they decide to do and if Skubal is ultimately on the trade block, but the Blue Jays should not be counted out of the picture if he does become available.
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