Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal has been in the trade rumor mill since the start of the MLB season, with the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets among the teams linked.
Nonetheless, with various free agents coming off the board, the trade market is beginning to heat up. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that rival teams were surprised the Tigers showed some openness to a Skubal trade, with the Dodgers holding prospects that drew Detroit’s interest.
Amid the rumors linking the Dodgers to the Tigers ace, former MLB general manager Jim Bowden shared the latest on what he’s hear about Skubal.
“What I’ve been told by opposing GMs is the Tigers have fielded offers for Skubal, and the asking price is just ridiculous and absurd, which it should be for the guy who’s won the Cy Young the last two years,” Bowden said on the December 12 edition of “CBS Sports HQ.”
“The Tigers are at least doing their due diligence to see what they can get for Skubal… Based on all my conversations with everybody involved, I think the Tigers are going to hold on to him and see how the first half of the season goes.
“If they get to July and have a chance to win, they keep him and then try to sign him in free agency. If they get to July and they’re out of it, they probably will trade the pitcher. This drama and the rumors around him aren’t going to stop at least until the July 31 trade deadline, but don’t expect him to be traded this winter.”
What’s the Latest on the Mets’ Interest in Tarik Skubal?
Jon Heyman of the New York Post shared what prospects New York could be willing to tempt Detroit if they decide it’s best to go the trade route to acquire Skubal rather than wait for free agency next offseason.
“According to one high-ranking Mets person, Nolan McLean, who starred in a 2025 Queens cameo, is ‘off limits,’” Heyman wrote in his article published on December 11.
“But the Mets could still tempt the Tigers with some combination of pitchers Jonah Tong (“everyone wants him”) and Brandon Sproat, plus outfielder Carson Benge and infielder-outfielder Jett Williams, and more from their top-ranked system.”
What the Dodgers Would Need to Trade for Tarik Skubal
After the Winter Meetings wrapped up, AM 570’s David Vassegh said on “Dodger Talk” that if the Tigers were to trade Skubal, they would likely seek a return comparable to what the Washington Nationals received from the San Diego Padres for Juan Soto.
“Talking to people in Orlando that were there and are very familiar with what the Tigers are asking for Tarik Skubal, they are asking, for a one-year rental of Tarik Skubal, a package that would rival what the Padres sent to the Nationals for Juan Soto,” Vassegh said (h/t Dodger Blue). “… From what I understand, the Tigers want something that rivals that.
“The difference is the Tigers are trying to win, and if they trade Tarik Skubal, they’ve got to sell to their fanbase in Detroit, we just traded the best pitcher the Tigers have had since Jack Morris or Justin Verlander, for more than just prospects. And the Dodgers have those type of players to send to Detroit.”
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