An emergency O's-Tigers trade for Tarik Skubal if Jackson Holliday is untouchable

The Baltimore Orioles are making an attempt to pull Tarik Skubal away from the Detroit Tigers. Up until now, there was slight speculation that Skubal could be dealt, but this kind of move really doesn't make sense for Detroit.

Skubal, 27, very well could be the best pitcher on the planet right now. He has a WHIP closer to .800 than 1.00 and an ERA that's lower than 2.50. He's under team control for two more years after this season as well. What else is there to say? He's Tarik Skubal. It would take an insane package of prospects to land him.

And that's where the Orioles come into play, because they have the prospect capital to make a move for nearly any player in the league.

The Tigers are likely asking for Jackson Holliday, the top prospect in the game, in return for Skubal. But the rumors are that Holliday is untouchable. Baltimore still has what it takes to figure this deal out, even if they don't include Holliday.

An emergency O's-Tigers trade to bring Baltimore the ace of their dreams

In this hypothetical, we're going to be under the assumption that Holliday is completely untouchable. No matter what, he won't be considered in this hypothetical.

After Holliday, the Orioles have a few more top-100 prospects that they could include, led by Samuel Basallo, the 12th-ranked prospect in baseball and one of the best position player prospects in the last few years.

This package of prospects is absolutely loaded from top to bottom.

Basallo is an elite hitter with the ability to play a premium spot as a catcher. There are few guys in the minor leagues that consistently find the barrel the way that the 19-year-old Basallo does.

Stowers, though a bit older and not a prospect, deserves to be playing every day. He's capable of playing at the big-league level and doing a good job of it. But because of the current status of the Orioles organization, he finds himself as a depth piece. He would start for nearly every other big-league team.

Connor Norby, Baltimore's fifth-ranked prospect, is banging on the door of the big leagues as well. He's slashing .296/.386/.524 in 2024 after performing similarly (.290/.359/.483) last season, both in Triple-A. He's one of the best minor leaguers in the game right now and he would have a spot on a big league roster if he wasn't in Baltimore.

Johnson, another top-10 prospect in the Baltimore organization, is having an incredible year as well. He's posted a 2.84 ERA across 16 starts at the Double-A level. He's a pitcher, not a thrower, who has a developed feel for all of his pitches.

But again, this deal isn't for a rental. It's not for a mid tier guy. It's for a young, controllable left-handed ace. The single most dominant pitcher in the game right now. If there's a way to acquire Skubal, the Orioles will find it. If they can find it, they need to pull the trigger.