What could the Tigers get in return for Tarik Skubal? Let's dream up some possible trades

It’s the “will they or won’t they” of the summer.

The Detroit Tigers have Tarik Skubal, perhaps the game’s best pitcher, under contract until season’s end. Entering play Monday, they also have a record 11 games under .500, a five-game gap between them and a wild card, and dangerously low playoff odds. Whether the Tigers trade Skubal will define the trade deadline and maybe even the postseason.

Yes, Detroit has been playing better ball of late, but the Tigers’ path to postseason baseball remains daunting. A point might come when they need to face the facts and do the difficult, prudent thing. If they were to shop Skubal, he would fetch quite the haul. However, the return would look different than those of recent mega trades involving Juan Soto and Garrett Crochet.

That’s because the Tigers are not interested in a rebuild. Any trade of Skubal would, therefore, revolve around pieces in the upper minors or already at the big-league level. Furthermore, Skubal’s expiring contract lowers his overall value. Still, any trade would be quite a doozy.

Let’s run through some contenders and craft some packages.

Jump to a team: Pirates | Cubs | Rays | Brewers | Dodgers | Braves

RHP Bubba Chandler, RHP Khristian Curtis, LHP Jaden Woods and the 34th pick in the 2026 MLB Draft in exchange for LHP Tarik Skubal

The two most important questions when evaluating potential Skubal trade partners are:

Do they have a cornucopia of talented youngsters to offer?
Are they desperate enough to part with said players?

Pittsburgh is an emphatic yes on both fronts. The Pirates haven’t made the playoffs since 2015, the National League’s longest drought. That means GM Ben Cherington (in charge since 2020) finds himself on a particularly hot seat. What is the future to a man living on borrowed time?

Crucially, the Pirates have a deep cache of talented young hurlers to deal from. Only two names would presume to be off limits: reigning Cy Young Paul Skenes and über-prospect Seth Hernandez, who has absolutely torched the minors this season. Pittsburgh would surely prefer to hang onto breakout arm Braxton Ashcraft and the high-ceilinged but oft-injured Jared Jones. But everything else, including rotation stalwart Mitch Keller, is on the block.

Detroit, with the most bat-heavy system in the sport, would presumably be looking for an arm or two or three. Chandler gets the nod for me based on his upside and his team control. He entered the season as a near-consensus top-three pitching prospect in the sport, but it has been relatively tough sledding for the 23-year-old flamethrower, who has the single highest walk rate in MLB among starters with at least 70 innings. Chandler is so athletic that his strike-throwing should improve with time — something the Pirates don’t really have.

Curtis is a 6-foot-5, long-legged, broad-shouldered righty enjoying a strong year in Triple-A. He was something of a late-bloomer after an injury-plagued college career, but he has tossed more than 100 innings in each of his past two minor-league seasons and is on pace to do so again. Curtis has a four-pitch mix led by a mid-90s heater with strong life.

Woods is a reliever and a really fun one. It’s a firm sinker and a sweeping slider from a smooth, left-handed release. The pick is un-sexy but undoubtedly valuable. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal recently reported that the Pirates are open to dealing their competitive-balance pick, which would allow the Tigers to add a player of their own liking to their system. — Mintz

Chicago Cubs

UTIL Matt Shaw, UTIL Pedro Ramirez, RHP Jaxon Wiggins and OF Kevin Alcántara in exchange for LHP Tarik Skubal

Because the Cubs don’t have a particularly good farm system, they would almost certainly have to deal from their big-league roster to top a prospect-heavy offer from a team such as Los Angeles or Tampa Bay. Thankfully, the Tigers’ competitive window fits well with that limitation. A Skubal trade would devastate Detroit’s fan base, yes, but the Tigers would enter 2027 with a gaggle of talented young hitters led by Kevin McGonigle, Dillon Dingler, Riley Greene and Max Clark.

That makes Shaw a good fit. He has been Chicago’s every-day right fielder for the past week or so, with Seiya Suzuki moving to DH and Moises Ballesteros getting optioned to Triple-A. But Shaw is a college shortstop who played second and third on his way up the minors. The only thing the Tigers love more than bullpen chaos is defensive versatility. Chicago clearly thinks highly of Shaw, who was pushed off the dirt for Alex Bregman, but whichever team lands Skubal will have to go beyond its comfort zone.

Ramirez is yet another intriguing infielder in a Cubs org full of them. He can play both second and third, but most importantly, he’s a compact-oriented switch-hitter who had a meaningful power bump in Triple-A this year. Barring injury, it’s impossible to see him supplanting Bregman, Dansby Swanson or Nico Hoerner on the dirt at Wrigley, making him more valuable to the Cubs as a trade chip.

Wiggins, Chicago’s best pitching prospect, missed two months this season due to elbow inflammation, an injury that makes me less comfortable than a sandpaper blanket. Still, this dude had helium for a reason. His heater sits in the upper-90s and gets released with near-elite extension. The secondary stuff is a work in progress, but the fastball is special enough to carry the profile for now. Health is the biggest question.

Alcantara has been a Cubs prospect for what seems like an eternity; he was acquired in the 2021 Anthony Rizzo trade, for Pete’s sake. He has wallowed in the upper minors for a few seasons now, too talented to trade, too raw to play every day for a contending team. Given that context, it’s difficult to envision Alcantara figuring things out at Wrigley. His 16 taters so far this year are a reminder that there’s still something here. Maybe Detroit can get the most out of his skill set. — Mintz

Whether or not the Detroit Tigers will trade ace Tarik Skubal is the will they/won't they of the summer. — Whether or not the Detroit Tigers trade ace Tarik Skubal is the “will they or won’t they” of the summer.

(Mallory Bielecki/Yahoo Sports)

Milwaukee Brewers

OF/2B Josh Adamczewski, SS Brady Ebel and 1B Luke Adams in exchange for LHP Tarik Skubal

It has been almost 20 years since the Brewers made a big swing to acquire CC Sabathia, so why not make another bold move 20 years later?

Milwaukee has arguably the best pitcher on the planet right now in Jacob Misiorowski, who would headline Game 1 in the postseason. Imagine the fear you’d put into an opposing lineup with a two-headed monster of Misiorowski and Skubal taking the ball for Games 1 and 2 of a playoff series. That’s not to mention left-hander Kyle Harrison, who has more than held his own in the Brewers’ rotation this season. If pitching is going to be what carries the Brewers in the postseason, adding an arm of Skubal’s caliber only reinforces that.

The other consideration for the Brewers is that rarely will they get an opportunity to sign a player such as Skubal in free agency. Because of that, trading for two months of the back-to-back Cy Young Award winner would be worth it if it increases their chances of reaching the World Series.

Why would Detroit make this deal? The Brewers have arguably the best farm system in MLB, and while the Tigers might not get the type of haul they would’ve received if they’d traded Skubal before this season or even two seasons ago, Milwaukee has the prospect capital to get this done. The system has plenty of infield prospects, one area where Detroit has struggled at the major-league level. Ebel and Adamczewski provide plenty of upside up the middle, while Adams brings power and is knocking on the door of the big leagues. If Spencer Torkelson‘s time as Detroit’s first baseman has run out, Adams could be an option in the Tigers’ future. — Dorsey

Tampa Bay Rays

RHPs Michael Forret and Santiago Suarez in exchange for LHP Tarik Skubal

The Rays have long been a team that zigs when other teams zag. And they’ve also been a team that tries to stay within its means financially. So what would make Tampa Bay make a move for Skubal?

Similar to the Brewers, because of their financial limits, the Rays have to win through the draft and player development. That combination within Tampa Bay’s top-notch organization has yielded continuous waves of prospect to help the team compete. And even though they’ve missed on free-agents such as Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freemen in the past, the fact that the Rays considered those players shows a willingness to make blockbuster moves.

Why would Detroit make this deal? When it comes to pitching prospects, the Rays have plenty to spare. Moving Skubal would be significant not only for the Tigers’ rotation in 2026 but also for their future. If Detroit were able to acquire two quality, young arms in Forret and Suarez, both of whom are not far from the big leagues, that would be a win for the Tigers. — Dorsey

Los Angeles Dodgers

RHP River Ryan, OF Mike Sirota and RHP Christian Zazueta in exchange for LHP Tarik Skubal

Even before the Tigers spiraled down the standings and ramped up the Skubal trade rumors, the Dodgers were often linked to the ace left-hander due to their propensity to collect superstars, whether via trade or free agency. At the same time, as Los Angeles both acquired and developed an abundance of rotation talent over the past few years, it didn’t appear that starting pitching would be an urgent need anytime soon. It’s one thing for the Dodgers to flex their financial wealth to address actual holes on the roster, like they did this past offseason with Edwin Diaz and Kyle Tucker. But based on the pitching personnel involved entering the 2026 season, a big swing for someone such as Skubal felt far-fetched and unnecessary.

Yet here we are in June, and injuries have once again ravaged Los Angeles’ best-laid pitching plans, reigniting the possibility that the Dodgers could — or even should — pursue Skubal. Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto have shined as co-aces atop the rotation. 25-year-old lefty Justin Wrobleski has emerged as a quality starter — his 2.72 ERA ranks seventh-lowest among qualified NL starters — though his chances of sustaining his elite run-prevention are slim. Beyond that trio, though, it has been turbulent.

Emmet Sheehan (5.32 ERA) has underwhelmed. Roki Sasaki has shown flashes of tantalizing progress but still has a lot to prove to be considered a reliable starter. Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell have combined to make eight starts and are both still on the 60-day injured list. As a result, veteran lefty Eric Lauer has been pressed into action and has performed admirably in four starts, but he’s a temporary fill-in, not a long-term solution. The Dodgers usually have more depth to turn to, but several other arms (Gavin Stone, Landon Knack, Bobby Miller, Ben Casparius) who have made starts or at least provided length in recent seasons are also on the injured list.

There’s one intriguing internal name the Dodgers have yet to call on: River Ryan. The 27-year-old righty made a brief big-league cameo in 2024 but has been working his way back from Tommy John surgery ever since, and the Dodgers are exercising extreme caution as they build his workload back up. Still, Ryan has wowed evaluators in Triple-A this season, making his eventual return to the big-league staff a particularly hot topic, especially as the injuries have mounted.

Perhaps Ryan does make an impact for the Dodgers down the stretch. Alternatively, he could serve as one of the headliners in a potential Skubal package, as he’s exactly the kind of talent the Tigers should be seeking in trade talks. After all, the Dodgers’ candidacy as a Skubal trade partner is rooted not just in their history of making blockbuster additions but also in the depth of what they have to offer. Ryan, a readymade rotation replacement, would be a sensible place to start. He is obviously not on Skubal’s level now (or likely ever), but cost-controlled starting pitchers with his kind of upside are immensely valuable, and his recent form suggests he could be a midrotation starter for a good team in the not-so-distant future.

The Dodgers also boast an absurd amount of outfield prospects performing well, many of whom are already in the upper levels. Exactly which ones Detroit might prefer — or which ones are off-limits from L.A.’s perspective — is tough to gauge from the outside, but for the purposes of this exercise, we’ll go with Sirota. Recently promoted to Double-A, he has been spectacular since the Dodgers acquired him from Cincinnati for Gavin Lux, and he has value beyond his bat as a likely center fielder. To round out this package, we’ll include another arm, this one a bit further away but trending toward being a consensus top-100 type: 21-year-old Christian Zazueta, whose 28.4% K-minus-BB% is fifth-best of any minor-league arm with at least 40 innings pitched. He was just promoted to Double-A.

Skubal is only a rental — albeit one the Dodgers could try to sign long-term — so it’s hard to part with too much value even as the franchise chases a three-peat. Still, this is a sizable return that could benefit Detroit in both the short and long term. — Shusterman

RHP Didier Fuentes, OF Eric Hartman and RHP Owen Murphy in exchange for LHP Tarik Skubal

After a rare down year in 2025, the Braves are back in the thick of the National League postseason race as the kind of contender we’ve long been accustomed to them being over the past decade. But another significant ailment for Spencer Strider – who just rejoined Spencer Schwellenbach and AJ Smith-Shawver on the injured list with elbow inflammation – has put Atlanta in a precarious position on the mound as it tries to keep pace with fellow NL powers Milwaukee and Los Angeles. The Braves still boast the timeless Chris Sale as a no-doubt ace atop the rotation, and the reinvented Bryce Elder has also provided a bulk of quality innings that should not be overlooked. But it’s been patchwork beyond that with the likes of Grant Holmes, Martin Perez, and rookie right-hander JR Ritchie, and while Atlanta’s tremendous bullpen lessens the need for the rotation to be relied on too heavily, the Braves also need to think bigger picture and consider what kind of rotation they want to roll into October with.

Skubal would be transformative for Atlanta. And with a farm system as improved as any league-wide based on some of the breakouts occurring in the minor leagues, the Braves are in prime position to make an aggressive move towards adding an ace at the deadline – and perhaps preventing one of their rivals from doing so.

Headlining Atlanta’s package will be 21-year-old right-hander Didier Fuentes, one of the bigger pitching prospect breakouts from last season who has excelled largely in a relief role in the majors this year. A return to the rotation could eventually be a salve for Atlanta’s current injury woes, but if not, he’s an ideal piece to target in a Skubal deal. 22-year-old Owen Murphy has yet to reach the majors and may not have Fuentes’ upside, but he’s another near-ready arm performing well in Triple-A who could factor into Detroit’s rotation plans sooner rather than later. On the hitting side, Hartman – a 20th round pick out of a Canadian high school in 2024 – has seen his prospect stock explode this season, putting up ridiculous power-speed numbers in High-A will primarily manning center field. — Shusterman

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