MLB Trade Rumors: 4 Teams Now Leading Contenders For Tarik Skubal

July 18, 2026
The Detroit Tigers only have about two weeks to make a huge decision for their franchise. To trade, or not to trade, Tarik Skubal. Jeff Passan of ESPN has the latest scoop. 

The two-time Cy Young winning Skubal is set to become a free agent this offseason, and he will be asking for a contract likely in the $400 million range, something the Tigers will not be in the running for. 
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Detroit, however, has worked themselves to within 3.5 games of a Wild Card spot in the weak American League playoff chase, but there are five other teams to leapfrog first, before they can think about a WC spot. To lose a talent like Skubal for nothing in free agency would be a devastating blow for the franchise. So yes, a HUGE decision is coming. 

If they do make the sensible move and trade him, the latest report from Passan, says that four teams are in the running. 
The Tigers are not going to commit to dealing Tarik Skubal until they must. Should they, however, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves and Tampa Bay Rays are all worth keeping an eye on.

Dodgers

Of course, the Dodgers are a frontrunner. They've got the desire, they've got the prospects, and they've got the money to re-sign him. Do they really need Skubal to make another World Series run? No, not at all. But all Passan wrote, "with arguably the best farm system in baseball and an endless wellspring of cash, the impediments in place for others simply don't exist for Los Angeles."  That makes LA the favorite.

Cubs

Unlike the Dodgers, THIS is a team that desperately needs a frontline starter. Injuries have ravaged the Cubs rotation. But could put a package together to land Skubal? "Their system isn't close to as healthy as the Dodgers', and gutting it for a wild-card berth is tricky business."

Braves

Atlanta GM Alex Anthopoulos has never been shy at the deadline about pulling the trigger to get whatever he feels his team needs to win a World Series. With his own rotation injury troubles, he could certainly go all-out to try to land Skubal. And, sitting in first place in the NL East, "they would love to pair Skubal with Chris Sale for the best 1-2 punch in baseball," making them a tough out in the playoffs.&nbsp

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Rays

The Little Team That Could can't compete with the above three in terms of finances. But Passan makes the case for Tampa Bay being a strong suitor for Skubal: 

"With the best record in the AL and a deep farm system, (they) have plenty of incentive, even if making expensive short-term deals is not their standard operating procedure. With an AL as winnable as this, the argument to go all-in is much easier to make."


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