Less than a week before the trade deadline, there don't seem to be a ton of teams that are willing to wave the white flag on the 2022 season and put up a for sale sign, creating a seller's market perhaps like we've never seen.
Al Avila and the Detroit Tigers are one of the teams that aren't making any bones about where they stand. Despite optimism heading into the season, the Tigers are 39-58 and have a -116 run differential. They aren't contending now, and probably won't next year either.
With that in mind, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic is reporting that Avila and the Tigers don't seem to view anyone as untouchable on their roster, even 25-year-old lefty Tarik Skubal. Rosenthal says that "the team is willing to trade him, according to rival executives with multiple clubs."
Skubal is 7-8 with a 3.88 ERA, 2.93 FIP and 2.7 fWAR in 19 starts this season. What's more, he won't become eligible for arbitration until the 2023 season and can't become a free agent until after 2026.
If the Tigers do indeed listen on Skubal, there figures to be a ton of interest. Here are five potential landing spots for Skubal:
St. Louis Cardinals
Could the Cardinals trade for Tarik Skubal?
(Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)
Given that they have a lineup built to win right now, the Cardinals should be in on just about every starting pitcher available. It's unclear if Jack Flaherty will return this season, and beyond Miles Mikolas and Adam Wainwright, the Cardinals are thin on pitching depth. Skubal may not be their No. 1 target, but as many have pointed out, it's going to be hard for them to pry either Luis Castillo or Tyler Mahle away from the division-rival Cincinnati Reds. So someone like Skubal might end up near the top of their list of attainable targets.
Baltimore Orioles
Could the Orioles trade for Tarik Skubal?
(Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
The Orioles may be a surprising team to see on this list, but they are 48-48 and still within striking distance in the American League Wild Card race. Even if they fade in the final two months of the season, they have quite a bit of talent at the Major League level and arguably the top farm system in the sport. Skubal would be a wise investment for both the short and long-term, and wouldn't get expensive for at least a few years.
Atlanta Braves
Could the Braves trade for Tarik Skubal?
(Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Doesn't this just feel like a move Alex Anthopoulos would make? What's made the Braves so successful in recent years is that they strike a perfect balance between trying to win in the present and making sure that they'll still be a competitive team in three years. Skubal would help them towards both ends. Landing Skubal would require the Braves to dip into their farm system, but they would acquire a pitcher that could be one of the top three starters in their rotation for parts of five seasons.
Texas Rangers
Could the Rangers trade for Tarik Skubal?
(Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
In his piece, Rosenthal mentioned both the Orioles and Rangers as two teams who haven't necessarily given up on 2022, but "want to add rotation help for 2023 and beyond." The Rangers made major investments in Corey Seager and Marcus Semien, among others, last offseason. Surely they expected when doing that to return to contention in relatively short order. Adding a starter like Skubal would improve their odds of climbing back into the Wild Card race in 2022, and certainly being a playoff team in 2023.
Philadelphia Phillies
Could the Phillies acquire Tarik Skubal?
(Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
Our initial inclination here is to say that the Phillies probably wouldn't match up in terms of what the Tigers would be looking for in return for Skubal. With that said, pitching -- and controllable pitching, at that -- is the No. 1 priority for the Phillies, who are hoping to return to the postseason for the first time since 2011. We can't rule out Dave Dombrowski, Avila's former boss in Detroit, making a push for Skubal. He'd be an excellent No. 3 behind Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola.
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