The Tampa Bay Rays have been at the center of trade rumors for the last month after what has been a very strong first half of the season and placed them squarely in the American League pennant conversation.

This is the time of year when World Series contenders take that next step to secure their status and put themselves in the best position possible in order to make a run. Tampa Bay has an opportunity to not only push to win a division title, but potentially get back to the Fall Classic as one of the best teams in all of baseball.

Now is not the time for complacency though, and the Rays need to make an aggressive move to lock things down. The dream target of every team is of course Detroit Tigers superstar ace Tarik Skubal and while Tampa Bay is one of the contenders to make the call, baseball insider Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic is not sure they would be willing to deal from the top of the farm system for him.

"The Tampa Bay Rays, Milwaukee Brewers, Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers are among the clubs expected to inquire on Skubal," Rosenthal wrote. "Small-market teams such as the Rays and Brewers figure to be more protective of their young talent than large-market clubs such as the Yankees, Braves and Dodgers.

"The Rays, for example, might not be willing to discuss their top prospects in outfielder Theo Gillen and catchers Nathan Flewelling and Caden Bodine."

For Tampa Bay, the unfortunate reality is that Skubal is not going to be acquired for less than a deal centered around one of Gillen, Flewelling or Bodine. Giving up a top prospect for a rental is obviously a huge risk, but at the end of the day, even the very best of prospects are still lottery tickets, and if the Rays believe they are World Series contenders, Skubal would ensure that.

Tampa will not spend in free agency the likes of the Yankees or Dodgers, so it makes it tougher to part with home grown talent. With that being said, the object of the game is to win a championship, and they may have their best shot to do that right now.

This organization always operates pragmatically and with poise, so a blockbuster for Skubal would be out of character for them. As painful as it is to say, winning a championship would be out of character as well, and while they have been close, perhaps a move like this would have made a difference in their appearances this century.

A deal for Skubal would be the biggest trade in franchise history, and if the Rays want the best chance possible at winning a World Series, now is not the time to cower in fear. It's time to make a splash, and Skubal is the biggest splash they could possibly make.