The Atlanta Braves are off to a hot start this season, but have dealt with a lot of injuries. The team is 32-16, which is the best record in Major League Baseball, and that also comes with a seven-game lead in the National League East over the Philadelphia Phillies.
On the pitching side, the Braves are without Spencer Schwellenbach, AJ Smith Shawver and Hurston Waldrep, so they may need some help there. The starting rotation could use another frontline starter to go along with Chris Sale and Spencer Strider.
Mike Axisa of CBS Sports notes that while the Detroit Tigers are unlikely to trade Tarik Skubal, there are a lot of teams that could show interest in the two-time reigning American League Cy Young award winner. Among the teams he listed were the Braves.
“Assuming he returns from surgery without a hitch, Skubal would instantly become the best available pitcher and the best available player period at the trade deadline if the Tigers do put him on the market,” Axisa wrote. “Every contender — Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, etc. — would make a run at him. The bidding war would be fierce.”
Braves Named Among Possible Tarik Skubal Fits
The Tigers are certainly slumping right now. They are only 2 1/2 games back in the American League wild card race, but are 20-28 and are now 6 1/2 games behind the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central.
If they cannot turn things around soon, they might have to look at possibly trading Skubal. The Braves have some holes in their rotation. While Sale and Strider are currently active, Strider has been injury-prone for the past few seasons, so having somebody that can pick up the slack could be helpful.
Skubal would be the undisputed ace of the Braves’ rotation if acquired, but having him could give them a major advantage in the National League East as they try to return to the postseason after missing out in 2025.
It would be a big move for them to make, but they are a serious contender for the World Series, so it would make sense for them, as well as plenty of other key contenders to target the Cy Young winner.
The Braves have a legitimate shot to dethrone the Los Angeles Dodgers as World Series champions, and Skubal would give them an even better chance to do it if acquired at or before the trade deadline.
The Cost Will Be High
It will be difficult for the Braves to actually pull off a deal to land Skubal. The Tigers are going to be asking for a haul of top prospects, and it remains to be seen if Alex Anthopoulos is willing to part with such capital just for a half-season of Skubal.
The left-hander is making progress after undergoing elbow surgery, but the Braves have to determine if it is a risk they are willing to take given Skubal’s injury history, especially if they have to part ways with a lot of top prospects to get it done.
Braves Among Contenders Predicted to Make Push for Reigning AL Cy Young