The crown jewel of the 2026 MLB trade deadline is undoubtedly two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. The Tigers’ lefty has missed some time due to injury this season, but still boasts a remarkable 2.70 ERA on the season while striking out 11 batters per nine innings pitched.
In a sense, this has been Skubal’s best season. His strikeout-to-walk ratio is the highest it’s ever been at 8.46. His FIP (2.68) is still elite and below where his ERA currently stands. All that to say that every team in position to contend for a World Series this year should be dialing the Tigers’ number and trying to get their paws on Skubal.
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Of course, not all trade destinations are built the same. Here are the five best landing spots for Skubal. Rankings are listed with consideration for which teams would most benefit from adding Skubal and which teams would have the best World Series opportunity with the addition of Skubal.
Tarik Skubal trade laning spots
5) Milwaukee Brewers
Between Jacob Misiorowski, Kyle Harrison, and Shane Drohan, the Brewers already have a very solid top-three for their playoff rotation, and could turn to guys like Chad Patrick or Logan Henderson as a fourth starter if need be. While adding Skubal would give the Brewers the greatest 1-2 punch we’ve seen since Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee on the Phillies in 2010.
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Milwaukee should focus more on offensive depth or a legitimate shutdown closer. If they were to snag one of the league’s top trade targets at this year’s deadline, Mason Miller would be better suited for Brew City than Skubal.
4) Los Angeles Dodgers
While the Los Angeles Dodgers have the money and the prospects to do whatever they want, they don’t NEED to add Tarik Skubal. Still, that might just happen.
After injuries to Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, the Dodgers are lacking in pitching depth. While both Snell and Glasnow are expected to be back well before the postseason, the Dodgers have a history of struggling with pitcher injuries and could just opt to grab someone like Skubal as insurance. Crazy to think that a two-time Cy Young Award winner could be an insurance policy for a team already at the top of World Series oddsboards.
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While Skubal would certainly widen the gap between the Dodgers and the rest of the league, the Dodgers would be better served going for a reliable innings eater who wouldn’t cost as many prospects like Kevin Gausman or Robbie Ray.
Tarik Skubal won the 2024 and 2025 AL Cy Young awards.
3) Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves may already have an ace in Chris Sale, but the team could certainly use some more elite starting pitching. The Braves don’t really have a No. 2. They have four No. 3’s, so adding Skubal would make make their rotation much more fleshed out and sound for the postseason.
That said, the Braves will have some pitchers returning from injury soon. Guys like AJ Smith-Shawver, Spencer Schwellenbach, and Spencer Strider. Adding Skubal would give them more pitchers than they need, but would likely be enough to hold off the Philadelphia Phillies for the NL East crown for the rest of the regular season. There are upsides and downsides, and there is potential that any of those three pitchers named earlier suffers setbacks in their recovery process.
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2) Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays aren’t normally a team that is willing to take a big swing at the trade deadline, but in recent years, they’ve sure tried to be that team. In the final year of Shohei Ohtani‘s deal with the Angels, the Rays made a play for him, offering two great prospects in Junior Caminero and Carson Williams for Ohtani. That didn’t happen obviously, but it’s evidence that the Rays are willing to offer.
While the Rays would probably be best served going after some consistency at the top of their lineup with a guy like Luis Arraez, the addition of Skubal would elevate an already solid pitching staff into elite status. With how weak the American League has been this year, adding Skubal would all but put the Rays in the ALCS as is.
1) Chicago Cubs
With how great the Cubs’ lineup has been all year, the Cubbies should focus solely on adding starting pitching at the deadline. While every other team on this list has at least one pitcher you could consider an ace, the Cubs lack much at all from their rotation. Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga have been the best pitchers for the team and neither boasts an ERA under 3.70.
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Skubal elevates the Cubs more than any other team in the league, and if the Cubs have been able to get to 14 games over .500 with mediocre starting pitching, adding someone like Skubal who could pretty much guarantee them three wins every four starts would be a huge addition, brining the Cubs up to the level of the Dodgers, Brewers, and Braves in the National League. It might even be enough to lift the team into NL Central title contention.
When is the MLB trade deadline?
The MLB trade deadline is set for Monday, August 3 at 6 p.m. ET.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Will Tigers trade Tarik Skubal? Ranking five best deadline destinations
