The Detroit Tigers are 12 games below .500 and dead last in the AL Central, with their postseason hopes fading fast. Trading Tarik Skubal was never the desired outcome of this season, but with the star southpaw about to rake in a mountain of cash in free agency, the Tigers will have no excuse not to trade him if their season does not turn around in a hurry.
The are four reported favorites to land Skubal, should he become available at the trade deadline: the Yankees, Padres, Blue Jays and Dodgers, per USA Today's Bob Nightengale. Not the most surprising list, as all four are contenders with a glaring need in the rotation (or the money to re-sign Skubal as a free agent). Here are the top prospects Detroit should have in its sights:
New York Yankees: RHP Carlos Lagrange
Carlos Lagrange lit up the radar gun at spring training and had Yankees fans salivating over his potential. He has found slightly tougher sledding in Triple-A to start the year, with an inflated 4.78 ERA and 1.41 WHIP through 10 starts. Still, Lagrange has 57 strikeouts across 41.1 innings, with electric stuff that should crystalize into a star-caliber package down the road.
The 6-foot-7 rigthy is 22 years old and already knocking on the door to MLB. Given the Tigers' lack of functional depth behind Skubal in the rotation right now, bringing in another premium arm (or two) should be their No. 1 priority at the deadline.
Lagrange needs to figure out his command, but starting pitchers who throw that hard, with that much life on their secondary pitches, just don't come around too often. Detroit has a solid developmental track record, especially when it comes to pitchers, so Lagrange could take that next step in Motown.
San Diego Padres: C Ethan Salas
Ethan Salas is San Diego's top-ranked prospect at MLB Pipeline and one of two consensus top-100 names in the Padres' system. San Diego has sacrificed a ton of its prospect depth in recent years to upgrade at the trade deadline, and AJ Preller could double down in 2026 with Skubal as the grand prize.
Salas occupies the same position as 27-year-old Dillon Dingler, who has emerged as one of Detroit's best bats and a genuine wizard behind home plate. That said, at 19 years old, Salas' MLB debut is far enough away for Detroit to bet on talent and figure out the potential fit later, if Dingler sticks around.
San Diego is at a real disadvantage in a potential Skubal sweepstakes, as most of their minor league arms are either extremely young or just not that compelling as immediate MLB options. Salas is a miraculous defender behind home plate, with a rocket arm and enough of a hit tool to project sustained utility at the next level. It's hard to imagine the Padres putting together a respectable package without Salas, to be frank.
Toronto Blue Jays: SS JoJo Parker
Toronto selected JoJo Parker at No. 8 overall in the 2025 MLB Draft. The 19-year-old lefty is already an advanced hitter, with significant line-drive power that he should turn into home runs with further development. He has a .768 OPS and 11 doubles through 38 games at Single-A, in his pro debut season.
The top hitting prospect in the Blue Jays system, Parker is still at least a few years out from his MLB debut. That said, another premium infield bat to develop behind (and eventually alongside) Kevin McGonigle could mean the Tigers are set at third base and shortstop for the next decade.
Parker has decent speed and a strong arm, which means he probably projects at the hot corner, with McGonigle assuming shortstop duties, long term.
Los Angeles Dodgers: RHP River Ryan
Los Angeles has one of the deepest farm systems in MLB and easily the most ammo of any team on this list for a potential Skubal trade. It really seems unfair. The Dodgers are bursting at the seams with promising young bats, several of which Detroit should absolutely target. That said, the Tigers need to get a Skubal "replacement" back, too, and River Ryan is the clear best option on that front.
Ryan has his skeptics as a 27-year-old who missed all of last season to Tommy John surgery. The setbacks Ryan has faced after mounting four brilliant starts for the Dodgers all the way back in 2024 are enough to scare even the most ardent believer.
That said, Ryan is back in the swing of things this season, with a stellar 2.81 ERA and 21 strikeouts across 16.0 innings in Triple-A. The underlying metrics are pretty, and while that's a small sample size, Ryan's talent has never really been a point of debate. Skubal himself was something of a late bloomer, and this is a case where Detroit shouldn't let the age scare them. Ryan can start games for Detroit as soon as the trade is processed.
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