A clearer picture is emerging of the Tarik Skubal sweepstakes.
Rival executives believe that there are four finalists for the Detroit Tigers ace lefty Skubal ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline, Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports reported on Sunday. Nightengale says that the four expected teams that can afford the remainder of Skubal’s $32 million contract and would also be willing to part with prized prospects in order to acquire him are 1) the Los Angeles Dodgers, 2) the New York Yankees, 3) the Toronto Blue Jays, and 4) the San Diego Padres.
Skubal, the two-time reigning AL Cy Young winner, is indeed in the final year of his contract at $32 million. He has sported a 2.70 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP through seven starts so far this season but is currently sidelined after undergoing arthroscopic elbow surgery earlier this month.
Meanwhile, the Tigers are in the toilet this season at 20-33 (second-worst in the American League and dead-last in the AL Central). That means they will likely have no choice but to trade Skubal and their other impending free agents to at least recoup some sort of value at this year’s trade deadline.
The 29-year-old Skubal could be back in the lineup again before the start of August. That means that Skubal would have plenty to contribute to a World Series hopeful over the final three months or so of the 2026 season.
We learned several months ago that three particular teams were expected to lead the race for Skubal as a free agent this offseason. But now that the Tigers are almost certain to have to trade Skubal away at the deadline, that opens up some possibilities for other teams to swoop in as well.
