The Philadelphia Phillies have lost six of their last seven games, and with the trade deadline approaching, they need some help.
Bryce Harper is keeping no secrets, as he let the world know that he thinks the team needs some help at the deadline. He noted that the team could use pitchers and hitters, and the front office seems to already be working on it. According to MLB insider Jon Morosi, the Phillies scouted Tarik Skubal last weekend.
Every contender is seemingly waiting to see what the Tigers decide to do with Skubal before pulling the trigger on a different starting pitcher. The Tigers have played much better as of late, but still trail by over three games in the wild card race. Moving Skubal would not necessarily signal that they are punting on the season, as many insiders report that the asking price would include a big league arm as well as prospects.
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There are not many pitchers who would bump Cristopher Sánchez out of the No. 1 spot in the rotation, but the reigning back-to-back American League Cy Young Award winner certainly would. Skubal is going to be a rental, as he is expected to sign one of the largest pitching contracts in history in the offseason.
A rotation of Skubal, Sánchez, Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola and Jesús Luzardo would be phenomenal for the Phillies. It would take a ton of pressure off the offense as well.
The fact that Skubal is just a rental means that teams that don’t traditionally go after stars may also enter the sweepstakes. Unfortunately for the Phillies, those teams have better farm systems to deal from. Skubal will be starting on Wednesday, and it could end up being his final start for the Tigers if he is traded in the next few days.
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