The Toronto Blue Jays have a golden opportunity involving Tarik Skubal.
While some are urging Toronto to reunite with an old veteran, Skubal would be a massive addition. The Cy Young winner is not seeing eye-to-eye with the Detroit Tigers about what he should be paid. They have already added Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce to their rotation, in addition to having Shane Bieber return. Toronto is one Skubal away from arguably having the best starting rotation in the MLB.
The Blue Jays have recently been linked to Cody Bellinger, who shares similarities with another one of Toronto’s past targets. They have also added a talent who could replace a player who recently moved on.
Heavy.com has proposed a trade that would see the Blue Jays acquire Skubal for a package of assets headlined by Jose Berrios.
Blue Jays Acquire:
- Tarik Skubal
Tigers Acquire:
- Jose Berrios
- Ricky Tiedemann
- Joey Loperfido
- Addison Barger
- $5 million in cash
With this proposed trade, the Tigers add a reliable starter in Berrios. Additionally, they receive a promising southpaw hurler prospect in Ricky Tiedemann. Addison Barger and Joey Loperfido give the Tigers roster flexibility, with the $5 million in cash sent to help absorb Berrios’ $19 million contract.
On the other hand, the Blue Jays acquire the best pitcher in baseball, who’s hurdling towards a $400 million payday once his current contract expires. The Tigers and Skubal are headed to arbitration because of their significant salary differences. Skubal posted a 13-6 record in 31 games in 2025. Additionally, he recorded 241 strikeouts and a 2.21 ERA in 195 1/3 innings.
Tarik Skubal Could Be the Pitching Upgrade the Blue Jays Are Seeking
The Blue Jays swung and missed on Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette, and Alex Bregman so far this offseason. The Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, and Chicago Cubs have come away the winners with those players.
One Blue Jays analyst has curiously brought up a free agent target Toronto had previously shown interest in. Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet discussed this free agent pitcher in a recent article.
It’s unclear how much recent contact they’ve had with Framber Valdez,” Nicholson-Smith wrote on January 16, 2026. “But for what it’s worth, I heard they met with him in person at the Las Vegas GM Meetings (pre-Cease deal), and there was some mutual interest at that point. If the Blue Jays wanted to go all-in on run prevention, they could reignite those talks.”
“But most in the industry consider the Mets and Baltimore Orioles more likely suitors for the left-hander.”
Framber Valdez is the best pitcher left on the free agent market. If there is interest from the Blue Jays in adding another arm, Skubal would be a better choice than Valdez.
Jose Berrios Can Bring Stability in Skubal’s Absence
Berrios isn’t the most threatening arm on the mound, but he brings a lot of value.
The 10-year veteran hurler has started at least 30 games in all but three seasons. In those three seasons, he pitched 14 games in 2016, 25 in 2017, and 12 in 2020.
Outside of Skubal, the Tigers have Jack Flaherty, Casey Mize, Troy Melton, and Drew Anderson as potential rotation options. Of those four, only Flaherty and Mize carried a starter’s load for the whole season.
In addition to Berrios, the Tigers would have the option of inserting Tiedemann into their rotation. The promising arm can throw heat with an impressive 99-MPH fastball.
While Tiedemann would be a great addition to the Blue Jays’ rotation, there currently isn’t any room for him this year. Given the other pitchers in Toronto’s prospect system, they can afford to let Tiedemann go, especially if Skubal is the return.
This proposal would greatly benefit both the Tigers and the Blue Jays. Toronto gets the best pitcher in the game, and the Tigers get two pitchers who can pitch in their rotation immediately.
What a golden opportunity.
Blue Jays New Trade Pitch Deals 99-MPH Hurler & Adds Jose Berrios Upgrade