MLB trade rumors are swirling all across the league right now, especially considering there is less than a month until the trade deadline. The biggest name on the proverbial trade block continues to be Tarik Skubal.
Skubal’s trade status remains the biggest storyline in MLB because his rental price tag might be the highest ever for a trade candidate, and it has spurred a lot of discourse about what amount of players/value it will take to land arguably MLB’s best pitcher. The Philadelphia Phillies, given their status as World Series contenders, have a PBO who is willing to part with top prospects to improve the roster right now, and it’s fun to speculate about potential player hauls it might take to pull off a massive trade. Recently, FanSided.com’s Mark Powell indulged in that speculation, and revealed a Phillies-Detroit Tigers trade package to land Tarik Skubal in Philadelphia.
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Who Would the Phillies Have to Trade to Land Skubal?
GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 30: Tarik Skubal #29 of the Detroit Tigers pitches during the fourth inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on June 30, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
There have been several reports from top MLB insiders that the asking price for Tarik Skubal STARTS at AT LEAST three prospects, and should include a top-50 player or so in MLB’s top 100 prospects list.
So, here is what Powell came up with as a ‘realistic’ deal:
- Phillies receive: LHP Tarik Skubal
- Detroit Tigers receive: RHP, Gage Wood (Phillies #2 prospect), OF, Dante Nori (Phillies #5 prospect), 3B, Carson DeMartini (Phillies #16 prospect)
That’s three Phillies prospects for Trik Skubal’s services for less than two months, but it’s still a very enticing deal, given the Phillies are aiming for a World Series now, and they will be having to outbid other top NL teams like the Braves and Dodgers. The opportunity is now for Dave Dombrowski and the Phillies front office to make a huge splash.
However, the flip argument to this whole Tarik Skubal conundrum is the Tigers may feel like they still have a shot in the American League with a healthy Skubal to make the playoffs, even though they are still a long shot, might be enough reason to retain their 2X Cy Young ace.
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Tarik Skubal’s 2026 Season/Trade Status
GettyATLANTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 29: Tarik Skubal #29 of the Detroit Tigers pitches in the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on April 29, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
This is the type of storyline that every MLB reporter/writer/analyst is going to want to be first on, but there’s certainly a strong case to be made for the argument that he will be traded.
Unless the Tigers plan to pay Skubal a very lucrative deal next season, this is a golden chance to fully maximize his trade status.
He’s back from an elbow injury and clearly returning to his dominant form. After a few ‘rough’ starts back from the IL, Skubal still holds an ERA of 3.06 this season over 70.2 innings pitched and 84 strikeouts.
Alongside the Phillies, there are several teams thought to be ‘in’ on Skubal, including (but not limited to) the Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, and Los Angeles Dodgers.
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Philadelphia Phillies ‘Realistic’ Proposed Trade for Tarik Skubal Revealed