Ryan Garcia
The New York Yankees could be linked to Tarik Skubal at the upcoming trade deadline, as Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that rival executives view them as one of four teams who will be heavily involved in the sweepstakes.
Other teams viewed as real threats are the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, and Toronto Blue Jays, who are some of the most-aggressive teams in the sport when it comes to trade deadline activity.
While the Yankees have the top rotation in the league by FanGraphs’ WAR, they could take an already devastating rotation and make it even better.
Landing Skubal would be a a seismic shift in the baseball landscape, and it might even push the Yankees into World Series favorites over the vaunted Los Angeles Dodgers.
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Could the Yankees Pull Off a Tarik Skubal Trade?
Tarik Skubal would be one of the best players ever traded at an MLB deadline if he is moved, as the Detroit Tigers sit 12 games below-.500 entering play on Sunday.
Striking out 27.1% of batters faced in his first seven starts of the season with a 2.70 ERA, Skubal was right in the middle of the AL Cy Young race until an elbow injury derailed those odds completely.
He underwent surgery to remove loose bodies from the elbow, undergoing a procedure that he believes will allow him to return at some point in June or July.
Throwing bullpens already, the hope is that he’d get some runway before the trade deadline, where interested teams will line up in droves to bid for his services.
While the Yankees have the odds-on favorite to win the AL Cy Young right now in Cam Schlittler alongside a rejuvinated Gerrit Cole, Tarik Skubal would be levels of greed and abundance that we haven’t seen in decades.
Coventional wisdom would suggest that the Yankees should prioritize their offense at the trade deadline or their scuffling bullpen, but Tarik Skubal provides a chance to put less pressure on both groups.
Furthermore, while the asking price will be sky-high, much like the Juan Soto deal the Detroit Tigers could be more interested in pieces that can help their roster in 2027.
Perhaps pitchers such as Will Warren or Ryan Weathers could be of interest to the Tigers, but it’s also possible that the team could intrigue them with arms like Elmer Rodriguez and Carlos Lagrange.
Other teams have better farm systems such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, so if the Tigers are interested in a prospect-ladden return, New York’s odds would drop.
It will be a fascinating saga to follow if the Tigers continue to scuffle in the next few weeks, as they continue to spiral from fringe contenders to no. 1 overall pick candidates.
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