The Detroit Tigers are mulling over potential Tarik Skubal trades as the two-time AL Cy Young winner enters the final year of his contract. While Detroit plainly prefers to keep Skubal and compete for a World Series crown, the odds of him re-signing for 2027 and beyond are virtually zilch. The Tigers risk losing him for nothing, and their World Series outlook isn't exactly strong enough to negate such a risk.
There is plenty of smoke connecting Tarik Skubal to the Dodgers, as the depth of their farm system — and the breadth of their bank account — makes them an easy trade partner. For the sake of parity in MLB, however, fans ought to hope one of these other teams can outbid L.A. in the end.
8. Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs certainly have the prospect capital to pique Detroit's interest, from MLB-ready hitters like Owen Caissie, Moisés Ballesteros and Kevin Alcátara, to young pitchers like Jaxon Wiggins and Cade Horton. But can Chicago responsibly engage in another high-profile rental after the Kyle Tucker saga? That's up for debate.
Skubal absolutely moves the needle for Chicago, a team equipped with a future MVP candidate in Pete Crow-Armstrong and a deep reserve of high-level defenders. The Cubs just need a frontline ace to elevate the rotation in front of Justin Steele, Shōta Imanaga and Matthew Boyd. Skubal gets the job done. But the offense will regress sans Tucker and Skubal almost certainly won't re-sign given Jed Hoyer's track record.
7. Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies might need to sacrifice both of their top prospects — right-handed pitcher Andrew Painter and middle infielder Aidan Miller — to mount a competitive offer. That's a huge risk considering the lack of MLB-ready talent in Philadelphia's pipeline and Skubal's impending free agency. Dave Dombrowski doesn't shy away from massive long-term investments, but $400 million-plus for a pitcher requires clearing a whole new bar.
That said, Dombrowski puts great value on high-level pitching and the Phillies immediately become Los Angeles' greatest challenger in the National League with a five-man rotation of Skubal, Cristopher Sánchez, Zack Wheeler, Jesús Luzardo and Aaron Nola. If there is any internal confidence in their ability to re-sign Skubal, the Phillies need to explore their options.
6. Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays dolled out $277 million between Dylan Cease, Cody Ponce and Tyler Rogers — and there's no indication that Bo Bichette and Kyle Tucker are off the table. An unexpected AL pennant has given Ross Atkins ground to stand on in free agency. He's translating his longstanding ambition into actual results.
Toronto could take things up a notch with a Skubal trade. Re-signing him is no guarantee, but Toronto is an appealing market and Skubal can hardly ask for a better supporting cast, especially if he's even slightly disinclined to form the Baseball Avengers in LA. If he wants a real challenge and to compete with a sustainable winning core, the Jays are a dream landing spot.
5. New York Yankees
The New York Yankees have been way too quiet this offseason, but we can never count them out of a high-profile bidding war like this. Who knows Skubal's thoughts on the NYC market, but the Yankees operate with a certain air of superiority rooted in over a century of baseball excellence. They have the money — and Skubal would drive plenty of ticket and merch sales in the Bronx, justifying a massive long-term extension in the offseason. Especially after whiffing on Juan Soto.
Max Fried delivered on expectations last season and kept the Yankees afloat in lieu of Gerrit Cole, who should rejoin the rotation at some point in 2026. Cam Schlittler made a strong first impression in the postseason — and gives the Yankees a grade-A bargaining chip, should Skubal talks get serious. New York also has the hitting prospects (Spencer Jones? Jasson Domínguez?) and the pitching development pipeline necessary to pique Detroit's interest with a comprehensive return package.
4. Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles made quite the statement with their signing of Pete Alonso to a five-year, $155 million contract. The dam has finally broken on Baltimore spending like a real contender, and they might not be finished. Framber Valdez, Michael King and other top free agent pitchers remain connected to the O's in the rumor mill. And after mounting a serious, if ultimately unsuccessful bid to re-sign Corbin Burnes last winter, one has to wonder if the O's get feisty enough to bid on Skubal.
Even if it's just a rental, Baltimore has the wealth of young hitters necessary to coax Detroit into a deal without completely destroying their own future. The likes of Samuel Basallo and Jackson Holliday probably stay off the table, but the O's can pepper Detroit with the offensive firepower it so desperately needs and at least go all-out in 2026, with a roster that stacks up with the best in MLB.
3. Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox have dealt for Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo, yet somehow built up MLB's deepest reservoir of tradable young pitching in the process. Boston quite possibly has too many quality assets not to swing a massive deal. There are only five spots in the rotation — and that's without diving into the positional roster crunch, which could make the likes of Ceddanne Rafaela, Kristian Campbell and Franklin Arias part of these negotations.
The only real limiting factor for Boston is Craig Breslow's confidence, or lack thereof, in a financial agreement beyond 2026. Skubal and Garrett Crochet would form the most devastating one-two punch in MLB, but Crochet was much easier to lock up long term. Skubal is going to test the market as a Scott Boras client — and he's going to receive offers from all the top markets. If the Red Sox, already cap conscious, feel like Skubal is strictly a rental, it could hand the advantage to other teams.
2. New York Mets
The New York Mets should have as much confidence as any team in their ability to re-sign Skubal next winter, which gets Steve Cohen and company a clear advantage. This offseason has largely left Mets fans defeated and disillusioned, but a Skubal trade would dramatically improve morale. Starting pitching remains the No. 1 priority for this team, and finding a way to pair Skubal with 24-year-old ace Nolan McLean next season — and hopefully for years to come — is a dream solution.
In addition to their financial wherewithal, the Mets have top pitching prospects to lob at Detroit. Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat can both contribute to an MLB rotation next season. The Mets also have Carson Benge, Jett Williams and a compelling group of young bats to put a trade over the finish line.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are, unfortunately, as well positioned as any team to not only acquire Skubal, but to keep him. If Skubal cares about winning, the Dodgers offer the clearest path to multiple World Series. Los Angeles has never shied away from the top of the free agent market. Skubal would join a rotation full of established, Cy Young-level arms. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Shohei Ohtani. There isn't a weak spot. Rōki Sasaki, with ace upside aplenty, probably stays out of these negotations.
There's reason to believe the Dodgers would involve Tyler Glasnow, an All-Star, in trade talks, giving them an immediate edge as Detroit fights to stay relevant. The Dodgers can also offer up the likes of Emmet Sheehan and River Ryan, knowing full well that their farm system is stocked and that their free agent budget will prevent future competitive lapses. That same depth and financial backing should also make the Dodgers comfortable enough to fork over top positional prospects, such as outfielders Josue De Paula and Zhyir Hope, catcher Daulton Rushing or infielder Alex Freeland. Good luck, MLB.