MLB Rumors: AL East Team To Check On Tarik Skubal Trade
The New York Yankees are on top of the AL East and have the best starting rotation in the AL right now.
They are still checking on Tarik Skubal.
Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that the Yankees will gauge the cost of Skubal if and when the Detroit Tigers formally place him on the trade block, adding that the rental nature of the deal does not deter New York given that his prorated salary of approximately $10 million for the remainder of the season will not be an impediment.
Skubal had a 2.70 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 43.1 innings before going on the injured list May 4 with loose bodies in his elbow.
The Tigers are 29-42 and have made minimal progress on a contract extension with Skubal, who becomes a free agent after this season.
League executives around baseball increasingly believe a trade is more likely than not.
Why the Yankees Would Add Him
The argument for New York pursuing Skubal despite their current rotation quality makes sense.
Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon are both fresh back from injuries and have not yet returned to their full strengths.
Tarik Skubal 38 days after undergoing elbow surgery:
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) June 13, 2026
4.2 IP
2 ER
4 K
5 H
1 BB
80 Pitches
Skubal topped out at 99.9 MPH.
Adding Skubal strengthens a rotation that is already excellent while Cole and Rodon build up, and gives the Yankees a full year to make the case for Skubal to re-sign with them as a free agent rather than losing him for nothing.
It has been 17 years since New York won the World Series, and Brian Cashman has showed willingness to be aggressive when a championship opportunity presents itself.
The Prospect Problem
The obstacle is the return package Detroit would demand.
The Athletic's Jim Bowden, who polled executives on the Skubal market, wrote that the Yankees are not going to trade their top pitching prospects Carlos Lagrange or Elmer Rodriguez, nor their top infield prospects George Lombard Jr. or Dax Kilby, for a rental.
That leaves outfielder Spencer Jones and right-handers Ben Hess and Will Warren as the most realistic headliners of any Yankees offer, a package multiple outlets have described as falling short of what the Tigers want.
Talks between the #Braves and Tigers regarding a trade centered around 3-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal have reportedly "intensified" over the last 24 hours, per league sources.
— Holly Baylor (@HollyBaylorMLB) June 13, 2026
A framework discussed would send RHP Lucas Braun, RHP Rolddy Muñoz and SS Alex Lodise to Detroit…
MLB Network proposed a package of Jones, Hess, and two additional pieces and drew immediate pushback from Yankees analysts who called the ask biased compared to packages proposed for other suitors.
The Cubs, Padres, and Dodgers have all been identified as teams with deeper prospect capital than New York, which is the core challenge Cashman faces if he decides the pursuit is worth a serious push.
Photo Credit: Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
