The Blue Jays have the ability to acquire Skubal, potentially, but should they?
On Sunday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that rival executives think that the Toronto Blue Jays are one of the limited number of teams that could make a trade to acquire two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers.
Of course, any team swinging a trade for Skubal would need to have the prospect capital to acquire a back-to-back Cy Young winner, but they'd also have to have the bank account to take on the pro-rated version of Skubal's $32 million. Skubal is a free agent at the end of the season, complicating things for the Tigers and for prospective buyers.
But just because you can do something doesn't mean you should, so let's look at the situation from a deeper perspective.
Do the Tigers need to trade Skubal?
No, they don't need to. Because of the way that the American League is shaping up, the Tigers, despite being 21-33, are just 5.5 games out of a wild card spot. They can still reasonably make a run at the playoffs, at least as of now, and they could still make noise in the playoffs if they get there and are healthy.
However, they are in last place and 10.5 games back in the American League Central, meaning the path to the playoffs is limited right now and probably only exists through the No. 2 and No. 3 wild card spots.
And how about Toronto's chances?
The Blue Jays enter play on Monday at 25-28, just one game back in the race for the final wild card spot. Maybe even more pronounced than Detroit, the chances to the playoffs likely exist through those second and third wild card spots only. The Jays are already 10.5 games back of the Rays for first place in the American League East and six games back of the New York Yankees, who own the top wild card spot.
Should the Jays make the run at Skubal?
In my estimation, no, at least unless something dramatically changes with regards to the standings. While rental players don't fetch quite the return they used to, the Jays shouldn't be willing to mortgage the future for a run at the third wild card spot only.
The Jays have invested so much in the major league roster, but the minor league system as a whole is middling. Trading from it even further for Skubal seems foolish without a concrete chance to win the World Series, which, right now, the Jays don't have.
Youngsters like JoJo Parker and Arjun Nimmala are critical to the team's future success. The Jays shouldn't be willing to move them under these scenarios.
Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning at Truist Park. Brett Davis-Imagn ImagesThe Blue Jays will play the Miami Marlins on Monday at 7:07 p.m. ET.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Remember to join our BLUE JAYS on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other Blue Jays fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that's free too!
