Let me be abundantly clear - the Detroit Tigers can and should extend Tarik Skubal. They might not want anyone to think this, but they have boatloads of money they can spend if they want to. They can extend Skubal to the record-setting contract he deserves while still fielding a World Series-caliber roster. Unfortunately, there's no reason to believe that the Tigers have the desire to meet Skubal's outlandish contract demands, and there's no reason to believe that Skubal (and agent Scott Boras) will seriously entertain extension talks with a trip to free agency just one year away.
Skubal, the soon-to-be back-to-back AL Cy Young award winner, has established himself as the best pitcher on the planet. He's the reason why the Tigers have made back-to-back postseason appearances and have come so close to playing for the AL Pennant each time. He's been dominant in the regular season and even better in the postseason.
Keeping that guy around in the middle of his prime is a no-brainer, but it's hard to envision Skubal wearing a Tigers uniform beyond 2026 when considering his likely desire to maximize his value and Detroit's likely reluctance to meet his demands. Given that, and the disastrous outcome that'd be letting Skubal walk as a free agent for nothing more than a draft pick, the Tigers must seriously consider trading him if they're unlikely to keep him around long-term.
I hate that it's come to this. I wish Skubal would spend his entire career in Detroit. However, trading him and getting a strong return would soften the blow at least somewhat. San Diego Padres fans might not be completely over how the Juan Soto experiment went down, but trading him entering the final year of his club control and receiving the return they did certainly softened the blow.
All 30 teams would theoretically express a level of interest in acquiring Skubal, but not all potential suitors are created equally. Here's a ranking of the teams most likely to acquire the superstar left-hander if (and it's a pretty big if at this point) the Tigers decide to trade him.
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10) San Diego Padres
I'm confident that no team will be more aggressive, at least to start, than the San Diego Padres. If there's one thing A.J. Preller loves to do, it's acquire stars, and Skubal is as big a star as there is in the game right now. We saw his desire to star-chase when he went out of his way to acquire Mason Miller at the 2025 trade deadline, adding him to a bullpen already widely considered to be the best in the game.
They might be more motivated than any other team to get Skubal, especially with Dylan Cease and (likely) Michael King set to hit free agency, but at the end of the day, the Tigers would presumably rather keep him than take whatever the Padres have left to offer. A.J. Preller deserves immense credit for acquiring as many stars as he has, but their farm system is in as rough a shape as it's been in for years.
The Padres simply do not realistically have close to enough to win the Skubal sweepstakes, but with Preller in the mix, they can't be ruled out fully.
9) Baltimore Orioles
We've seen the Baltimore Orioles splurge in this exact position. Ahead of the 2024 season, they acquired Corbin Burnes, a star pitcher entering his final year of club control, in a deal with the Milwaukee Brewers. Considering the fact that they've done it before and Burnes pitched quite well with the O's in his year in Baltimore, why wouldn't they do it again for an even better arm in Skubal?
The need for pitching in Baltimore is quite clear. Kyle Bradish, when healthy, is a frontline starter, and Trevor Rogers has frontline upside as well, but there isn't much else to like pitching-wise on this team. The Orioles have a strong position player core, but the pitching is what held them back in 2025 and is what could hold them back in 2026 if Mike Elias doesn't get a true ace.
I'm just skeptical the Orioles will be willing to trade what it'd take for another likely rental. It'd cost more to acquire Skubal than it did for Burnes, and it's less likely the O's would pay him as a free agent. They have the need and probably the requisite pieces to land him, but I'm not confident that Elias will be so eager to get this kind of deal done.
8) Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs really should be higher on this list. They play in one of the largest markets and have mostly clean books long-term. There's a reason I thought the Kyle Tucker trade was so smart for them to make, but with the unlikelihood that the Cubs are going to even consider re-signing Tucker after acquiring him, why should I expect anything different with Skubal?
The Cubs are in dire need of a frontline starter. Cade Horton can be that, but he is unproven, and I'm not confident that they have anyone else to lean on, considering how both Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga finished their seasons. Justin Steele is injured, too. Skubal would be such a good fit, and the Cubs have the pieces to get a deal done, but it comes down to their desire to make this kind of deal for a second straight winter.
If the Cubs are unlikely to re-sign Tucker, who is to say that they'll be willing to trade more to acquire Skubal and then potentially spend more to re-sign him? They should be willing to get a deal done, but this regime has proven time and time again that they value money over World Series wins.
7) Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are two wins shy of the World Series, but who knows where they'll be next season? They should still be good, but there are questions about this rotation. Kevin Gausman will be 35 years old next season. Trey Yesavage has barely pitched at the big league level. Chris Bassitt, Max Scherzer and (likely) Shane Bieber will all be free agents. Jose Berrios is regressing rapidly. The rotation needs reinforcement, and there won't be a better option out there than Skubal.
It'd be nice for the Jays to add a starter with more long-term stability, but beggars can't be choosers, particularly with a guy like Skubal available. They should be extremely motivated to get a deal done, but it also feels like they can get outbid rather easily.
Arjun Nimmala is a really good prospect, and pitchers Ricky Tiedemann and Johnny King have immense upside, but Tiedemann has been incredibly injury-prone, and King is a ways away from the majors. These aren't bad pieces by any stretch, but other teams have more to offer. If they're open to moving MLB guys like Yesavage or Addison Barger, perhaps the Jays will be bigger threats, but it's hard to see it right now.
6) Seattle Mariners
This is a fit not many talk about. Skubal went to Seattle University, so who knows, maybe the Seattle Mariners would be a team he'd be willing to sign long-term with. Plus, doing that means he'd never have to face them again, which would be nice after failing to beat them once in four tries in 2025.
They don't need starting pitching, but why not make an elite rotation that much better? We already know the Mariners will be contenders in 2026, and they happen to have as many top 100 prospects as any team in the sport.
I'm not confident that the Mariners will be so eager to pay what it'd cost to land Skubal in a deal when their rotation is already such a strength, especially considering his contract situation, but they have the pieces to get a deal done and will be in the thick of their contention window. Why not?
5) Philadelphia Phillies
Speaking of making a strength that much better, why not the Philadelphia Phillies? Their rotation carries them year after year, and can you imagine a group consisting of Skubal, Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo and Aaron Nola? Their offense consistently underachieves in October, but they might genuinely need only two runs to win games in October - the pitching would be that good.
From Andrew Painter to Aidan Miller to Justin Crawford, the Phillies certainly have prospect capital to get a deal done, and they have some intriguing youngsters who have already debuted as well.
I think the Phillies need to turn their attention to the offense if they have a big trade in them this winter, which is why I'm a bit skeptical, but if you can, why not build one of the greatest rotations in recent memory? They're desperate to win, and there won't be a better player on the market than Skubal.
4) New York Yankees
We've seen the New York Yankees make this kind of move before. They traded for Juan Soto, a superstar represented by Scott Boras entering his final year of club control, knowing very well that they could lose him for nothing that winter. They got a great year out of Soto and even won the Pennant, but lost in the World Series and then watched Soto walk to their crosstown rivals, the New York Mets.
Would they be willing to take the same gamble with Skubal? I don't know, but they should be. Sure, the rotation is already a strength without him, but this is the best pitcher in the game we're talking about here. Teams that are desperate to win a World Series - and the Yankees should be in that boat - do what it takes to make this kind of deal.
The Yankees have enough to win a bidding war for Skubal, but will Brian Cashman offer the requisite pieces? Perhaps a deal centered around the likes of Spencer Jones and Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz will be enough, but more realistically, the Yankees will have to include at least one of George Lombard Jr. or Cam Schlittler, especially since they play in the American League. I'm not convinced they'd be open to doing either for a rental, making it more likely they'd get outbid. If they are, though, Skubal could be Bronx-bound.
3) Boston Red Sox
One reason why the Yankees should be so desperate to get a Skubal trade done is because the Boston Red Sox lurk as a realistic landing spot for the southpaw as well. Sure, they just landed Garrett Crochet last winter, but can you imagine they win a Skubal bidding war this offseason? A 1-2 featuring the two best left-handers in the game would be unfair, yet it's incredibly realistic.
Roman Anthony will be off limits, but guys like Marcelo Mayer, Krisitan Campbell and Payton Tolle, all of whom are MLB-ready, could be available. If the Tigers want a deal centered around proven big-league talent, will Jarren Duran or Brayan Bello be of interest? Even other prospects like Franklin Arias and Jhostynxon Garcia should have a good amount of value.
The Red Sox were looking for a No. 2 starter at the deadline, and Skubal is a tier above the likes of Joe Ryan and MacKenzie Gore that Boston has been linked to. The expiring contract might result in Boston not offering what it needs to, and the Tigers would probably want to avoid sending him to an AL team, but the Red Sox have so many tradable pieces. They cannot be ignored.
2) Los Angeles Dodgers
I hate including them as much as you hate seeing them, but why exactly won't the Los Angeles Dodgers land Tarik Skubal? Give me one good reason why this wouldn't happen other than you not wanting it to happen?
Do the Dodgers need him? Of course not. Their rotation is already as good as any in the sport as we've seen this postseason. However, the Dodgers have never been satisfied with their roster as is. I mean, look at all of the moves they made last offseason, fresh off a World Series title. They'll do anything and everything to improve, and Skubal, obviously, makes them even better.
As for what it'd take to get him, the Dodgers have a ton of movable assets. Daulton Rushing is an elite catcher prospect. Josue De Paula, Zyhir Hope and Edgardo Quintero are three elite and emerging outfield prospects. Alex Freeland might step in and be their starting shortstop in 2026 if he were acquired. Andy Pages is a young outfielder who just hit 27 home runs for the Dodgers in the regular season and has been playing regularly in the postseason.
Again, it's not what anyone wants, but the Dodgers have the desire and the assets to get a deal done while also being a National League team.
1) New York Mets
No team has been more connected to Skubal in these rumors than the New York Mets, and it isn't hard to see why. They were MLB's most disappointing team in 2025, missing the playoffs entirely even after signing Juan Soto, and their starting rotation was the biggest reason why. After a great start, the rotation fell off a cliff in the final four months of the season, and the Mets' record shows just that.
They desperately need an ace. David Stearns is vehemently opposed to paying for frontline starters, but he was in the Crochet talks last offseason, and there's no reason to believe he won't be interested in acquiring Skubal. The expiring contract is a bit annoying, but it also means the Mets can probably get away with excluding Nolan McLean from any packages.
Even without McLean, the Mets have promising prospects like Jonah Tong, Brandon Sproat, Carson Benge, and Jett Williams, all of whom are or are very close to being MLB-ready. On the young MLB player front, the Mets have guys like Brett Baty, Mark Vientos and Ronny Mauricio that they can dangle. It'd probably take a combination of at least two of those upper-echelon prospects and a couple of other pieces to get a deal done.
The Mets should be as aggressive as any team this offseason, considering how badly 2025 went, and there is no better player they can acquire than Skubal. Adding him to the mix would suddenly put the Mets back in the World Series conversation. With their rotation need, their desire to win and the pieces they have, the Mets should be seen as the way-too-early favorites to win the Skubal sweepstakes.