The MLB trade deadline is 11 days away, and the Atlanta Braves figure to be at the forefront of all the top rumors and speculation across the league.
For the Detroit Tigers, who are trying to stay afloat in the AL Wild Card picture, they have the absolute biggest decision on their hands with starter Tarik Skubal. Atlanta has steadily been linked to acquiring Skubal via trade, but his status still appears to be up in the air.
However, if the Braves were to pull off the biggest trade of the cycle, it’s important to think about what a potential trade package could look like.
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Should the Braves Trade for Tarik Skubal?
GettyDETROIT, MICHIGAN – JULY 07: Tarik Skubal #29 of the Detroit Tigers throws a first inning pitch against the Athletics at Comerica Park on July 07, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Several MLB insiders/analsyst seem to believe that the Braves stand out as an ideal fit for Tarik Skubal, due to Atlanta’s need for starting pitchers, but how much would Alex Anthopoulos be willing to part with to try and land the 2X Cy Young starter?
Courtesy of FanSided.com’s Zachary Rotman, here is an ‘updated Braves-Tigers trade’ that would send Skubal to A-town.
- Braves receive: LHP Tarik Skubal
- Tigers receive: RHP JR Ritchie, OF Eric Hartman,SS John Gil
That’s a three-player haul for Skubal’s rental services, because remember he will enter free agency after this season concludes.
Here is what Rotman wrote about a potential deal:
“Acquiring Skubal not only makes the Braves much better, but it also ensures that teams they’re sure to be competing with, like the Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, and the Chicago Cubs, don’t get him, and that matters almost as much. There’s no sugarcoating the kind of impact Skubal, the back-to-back Cy Young winner in the AL, would have on this Braves team. Can you imagine having Sale and Skubal combine to start four or five games in a given postseason series? They’d be incredibly tough to beat.”
The bottom line is this: If any team is going to land Skubal, they will have to be okay with parting ways with some of the top talent in their system, but if that’s the cost of winning a World Series and seriously competing with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL, so be it.
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Tarik Skubal This Season
GettyDETROIT, MICHIGAN – JULY 07: Tarik Skubal #29 of the Detroit Tigers plays against the Athletics at Comerica Park on July 07, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Tarik Skubal is officially back to his CY Young form (not that he ever wasn’t). He missed about a month with an elbow issue, and the Tigers really struggled in his absense (duh).
However, he’s back now, and not shockingly, his return is synonymous with the Tigers starting to pick up some much-needed wins, which really complicates the whole trade outlook thing.
Over 14 total starts (82.2 IP), Skubal has an ERA of 2.83 with 98 strikeouts. In his last three starts, Skubal has given up three runs over 17 IP, with 23 K’s.
Stay updated on all the latest Tarik Skubal news, rumors, and updates on Heavy on MLB.
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