Chicago eyes a franchise-altering move for Detroit’s dominant southpaw, but stiff competition from rival farm systems could force a massive overpay to secure the reigning Cy Young winner.
The Chicago Cubs appear to be in play for Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal.
After the Cubs’ 3-2 extra-innings loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reported that the team is considering Skubal as a “blockbuster option” at the trade deadline. Skubal is in the final year of his deal with the Tigers, and all signs point to the back-to-back American League Cy Young winner being dealt next week.
MLB insider Jeff Passan went on SportsCenter late on Wednesday evening to confirm that Skubal will be traded by the August 3rd deadline. The Tigers haven’t made up much ground in the American League Wild Card race over the last few weeks and still sit 4 ½ games back of the final Wild Card spot.
With Skubal getting moved, the Cubs appear to be a potential suitor for him. They could make a big-time move and go all-in at this year’s trade deadline by acquiring him. The dominant southpaw could be exactly what Chicago needs to make a deep postseason run.
However, it’s hard to imagine the Cubs actually landing Skubal at the deadline.
For starters, teams like the Dodgers, Brewers, and Rays have much better pieces to give up than the Cubs. Each of those teams has a better farm system, and the Tigers are reportedly asking for a controllable starter in return.
Chicago might not be able to put together a competitive offer with the Dodgers, Brewers, and Rays also likely in on the Tigers left-hander. Los Angeles has nine top-100 prospects, Milwaukee has six, and Tampa Bay has three on MLB Pipeline.
Now, no one knows exactly what it will take to acquire Skubal in a trade. But it won’t be cheap. Even though the southpaw will become a free agent at the end of the 2026 season, Detroit will demand a lot for one of the best pitchers in baseball.
It also sounds like the Cubs’ No. 1 priority is acquiring a controllable starting pitcher at the deadline. Mooney reported in that same Skubal piece that the front office would “still prefer to acquire a starting pitcher who remains under club control beyond this season.”
The Cubs are trying to put themselves in a better position for both this year and next year by acquiring a controllable starter. With Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga set to become free agents, and Cade Horton not returning until the middle of next season, pitching will be a need this upcoming offseason. So, Chicago is trying to kill two birds with one stone.
It definitely sounds like the Cubs will be talking to the Tigers about Skubal ahead of the August 3rd deadline. Mooney heard from his sources that he’s a potential trade target, and Michael Cerami of Bleacher Nation heard similar “rumblings” surrounding the team’s pursuit of Skubal.
If the Cubs want to land the reigning back-to-back American League Cy Young winner, they have to be aggressive. Chicago might even have to overpay a bit because it will be hard to top the Dodgers’ offer.
One thing that could favor the Cubs in a potential deal with Skubal is Jed Hoyer’s relationship with Detroit’s higher-ups. Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris was in the Cubs’ front office from 2012 to 2019, and Tigers assistant general manager Jeff Greenberg was in the Cubs’ front office from 2012 to 2022.
Of course, Detroit will want to get the best deal for Skubal. But Hoyer’s relationship with Harris and Greenberg could be beneficial in potentially negotiating a deal.
It’s going to be a long couple of days until Skubal is eventually moved. The Cubs are at least one of the teams that seem to be in the running for the best trade candidate at this year’s deadline.
