A Tarik Skubal trade could shift the balance of power in the MLB, with seven teams eyeing the ace pitcher.
The Detroit Tigers' ace is a game-changer, a franchise-altering player. Back-to-back Cy Young Award winners are rarely available, making Skubal a monumental impact for prospective clubs.
The Milwaukee Brewers are one of the teams interested in Skubal. Adding him to a rotation that already features NL Cy Young Award front-runner Jacob Misiorowski would take them from a solid postseason rotation to one that can beat any offense in the sport.
The Brewers have shown in recent years that they can win in the regular season. A trade for Skubal would show the rest of the National League that they're not messing around in 2026. They have the type of farm system that makes acquiring a Skubal a real possibility.
The Tampa Bay Rays are in a similar position in the American League. They're legitimate contenders with a deep farm system. Adding Skubal would set them apart even more in an American League that looks to be theirs for the taking.
The Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, and Philadelphia Phillies are also in win-now mode. They have something significant to gain by adding Skubal to their roster. It would not only make their team even better but also prevent the other challengers in the league from acquiring that type of talent.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are always lurking in the shadows, waiting to make their next monster move. They're arguably the strongest trade partner of any team looking at the two-time Cy Young Award winner. Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said, "There just aren't that many star-level players in the game. Any time one is available, we're always going to participate in those conversations. We've shown to be very aggressive in the past."
The Dodgers' interest in Skubal has been fueled by the unknown nature of Shohei Ohtani's balky knee. With starters Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow working their way back from the 60-day IL, all of a sudden, starting pitching has gone from an area of strength to an area of need for L.A.
The question now is: Which MLB executive will be willing to go toe-to-toe with Friedman to get Skubal? We have about 72 hours to find out.
Source: Yahoo Sports