Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- With the Detroit Tigers sinking in the AL Central, Tarik Skubal is increasingly likely to be traded before the 2026 deadline.
- Eight contenders are vying for his services, but the urgency varies dramatically across teams with differing needs and depth.
- One franchise sits at the top of the list, desperate for rotation help to capitalize on a fleeting competitive window.
What started as a winter hypothetical has become shockingly close to reality: With the Detroit Tigers still mired in last place in the AL Central with just six weeks to go until the 2026 trade deadline, it's hard to escape the feeling that Tarik Skubal will actually get traded this summer.
The question now becomes: where? We've already broken down the prospect rankings and examined which would-be contenders can put together the best package for Skubal's services. But sometimes, what matters most is which team gets the most desperate when push comes to shove. So, which team needs Skubal the most to try and mound a pennant run this season? We've ranked the eight most likely suitors, from "complete luxury" to "have to have it".
8. Los Angeles Dodgers
Sure, Shohei Ohtani has been pitching through a blister for weeks now, and both Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow are on the 60-day IL. But come on now: These are the very definition of champagne problems, considering that L.A. can simply slot in guys like Emmet Sheehan and Justin Wrobleski and hardly miss a beat — with a top prospect in River Ryan still waiting in the wings. The Dodgers' organizational depth makes them the most likely Skubal suitor, but this team can't really be said to need much of anything beyond a reliever or two and a clean bill of health come October.
7. New York Yankees
The Yankees are not without needs ahead of the trade deadline: a righty-hitting catcher, an entirely new bullpen, maybe another infielder. But while Skubal would be a great fit on any contending team, the starting rotation is the area where New York is deepest right now. Assuming Max Fried comes back on time from his bone bruise, the Yankees have more starters than they do spots with Fried, Cam Schlittler, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Will Warren and Ryan Weathers (plus top prospects Elmer Rodriguez and Carlos Lagrange). Never count Brian Cashman out, but with limited prospect capital to deal with and work to do elsewhere, this one feels pretty unlikely.
6. Toronto Blue Jays
This ranking might strike some as surprising, especially given all the injuries that Toronto has had to deal with in their rotation. But Shane Bieber is almost back, and once he is, the Jays' starting staff for the postseason will consist of Bieber, Dylan Cease, Kevin Gausman and Trey Yesavage — more than good enough to win with.
It's Toronto's offense that has really let them down. That shouldn't preclude the Jays from making a run at Skubal, considering just how great he is and just how few impact hitters will be available at the deadline. But there are other teams with more glaring needs that Skubal could address.
5. Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies' fifth starter spot is a four-alarm fire at the moment, with Andrew Painter getting himself demoted but no internal replacements that inspire any confidence. But while that's no doubt a concern, it almost certainly won't keep Philly from getting back to the postseason — at which point this team will be able to roll out Cristopher Sanchez, Zack Wheeler and Jesus Luzardo to start any short series.
That's pretty elite, to say the least, which is why I'd be far more interested in Dave Dombrowski taking a big swing to try and fix this dysfunctional lineup. Especially considering how few bullets he has in the chamber to get a deal done, the Phillies should be looking elsewhere.
4. Atlanta Braves
That the Braves need to add a frontline arm before the deadline is no longer in dispute. It was bubbling below the surface for a while — guys like Grant Holmes, Martin Perez and Bryce Elder were never going to keep this up forever — but it boiled over when Spencer Strider found himself headed back to the IL with another injury. Even if Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep can all come back this season, there's enough uncertainty that Alex Anthopoulos needs to make a move for another starter.
That starter doesn't have to be Skubal. The reality is that this Braves lineup, at full strength, is good enough to bang all the way to a World Series, which keeps them toward the middle of this list. But with Skubal? Atlanta would be a wagon.
3. Milwaukee Brewers
Maybe this feels like a slap in the face to a team that has been among the most consistent in baseball for years now. But we saw pretty conclusively last fall that Milwaukee needs an infusion of impact talent if they want to beat the Dodgers in a seven-game series — and with several health question marks in this rotation, taking a swing on a Skubal rental makes a ton of sense.
The obvious comparison would be to the CC Sabathia trade at the 2007 deadline. Even if Skubal doesn't match those numbers, he'd be a much-needed anchor alongside Jacob Misiorowski in the event that any of Logan Henderson, Brandon Woodruff and Quinn Priester aren't healthy by October. The always cost-conscious Brewers figure to target a rental at the deadline, confident that their player-development machine will be able to backfill any losses.
2. Tampa Bay Rays
This is not a list of the most realistic Skubal suitors. But much like Milwaukee, the Rays figure to be far more inclined to invest in a couple months of the lefty's services given that this is one of Tampa's only pathways to truly elite talent that they aren't developing themselves. And the team undoubtedly needs rotation reinforcements, with Drew Rasmussen, Shane McClanahan and Griffin Jax all on pretty strict workload limits and not much depth behind them.
The Rays are not going to win games with their offense. If they want to sustain this strong start, they're going to need to pitch at a very high level, and Skubal is obviously just about the highest you can get. Tampa's June swoon might talk their front office out of taking a big swing, but there are few cleaner on-field fits.
1. Chicago Cubs
Could it be anyone else? Start with the bigger picture, in which the Cubs are facing down several key free agencies this offseason. This was supposed to be the culmination of a competitive window, and yet Jed Hoyer's team is mired in third place in the NL Central with little optimism moving forward.
The biggest reason why? A rotation that has been decimated by injuries, from Tommy John surgery for Cade Horton to complications coming back from Tommy John surgery for Justin Steele to a laundry list of maladies for Edward Cabrera and Matthew Boyd. The desperation is there. The need is there. And Hoyer has enough Minor League and young MLB talent to bring the Tigers to the table. The only question is: Does he have it in him to make it epic?
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