MLB Trade Rumors: 5 Teams Named To Push For A Skubal Trade to 'Shock the World'

Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers starting pitcher, yells after a strikeout

Tarik Skubal is on his way to becoming the first back-to-back Cy Young winner in the American League since Pedro Martinez at the turn of the century. He has been that dominant over the last two seasons, this year going 13-6 with a 2.21 ERA, and 241 strikeouts.

But with only one year of team control left, do the Detroit Tigers consider trading him? That's the discussion in some quarters as baseball gets set to head into the offseason.

“Pitchers of this caliber rarely become available on a short-term commitment,” an NL executive said. “There will be no shortage of suitors if Detroit makes Skubal available.”

And with Skubal being just a one-year rental, how much would teams give up, and would it be worth it?

“It would have to be two or three Top 100 type guys,” another executive, this one from the AL, said.

"If an acquisition of a short-term commitment helps your club reach the postseason, then it’s certainly worth it,” claimed another executive. “Flags fly forever.”

Mark Feinsand of mlb.com presents five teams that he believes will push for a Skubal trade that, as he puts it, would "shock the world."

New York Mets
Boston Red Sox
Los Angeles Dodgers
Philadelphia Phillies
San Diego Padres

Mets lead the list of suitors for a Tarik Skubal trade

Feinsand says the Mets "should top the list of prospective suitors, especially after missing the postseason in 2025." And, we'd add, especially after their starting rotation was pretty much a disaster until rookie Nolan McLean showed up late in the season. Additionally, with owner Steve Cohen, money wouldn't be an issue in the push to re-sign Skubal in free agency after one year in Queens.

Their potential trade package: 3 or 4 of the Top 100 prospects Brandon Sproat, Jonah Tong, Carson Benge and Jett Williams.

The Red Sox also have four Top 100 prospects from which to construct a deal. If they could pair up Skubal with Garrett Crochet, they'd have a one-two punch unparalleled in the American League.

The Dodgers, of course, can never be counted out. Do they really need another top-flight starter, though, with Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow already on hand?

"Philadelphia’s aging roster makes 2026 a crucial season before its current window of contention begins to close," Feinsand writes, making the push to get a Skubal that much more urgent for the Phillies.

And as for the Padres, they could lose both Michael King and Dylan Cease to free agency this winter, leaving massive, gaping holes in their rotation.