The MLB trade deadline chatter is starting to sound a lot less like background noise and a lot more like something real.
Tarik Skubal’s outing on Wednesday may have felt like a normal start on the surface, but the context around it was impossible to miss. The Orioles beat the Tigers 10-9, and when Skubal walked off in the seventh inning, Detroit fans gave him a loud ovation.
Around the league, the expectation is building that the two-time Cy Young winner could be on the move before Monday’s deadline. That said, Detroit still could decide to keep him.
Baltimore, meanwhile, has its own big-name question hanging in the air. The Orioles are 53-56 and sitting in fourth place in the American League East, 10.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays.
They are also only two games out of an AL Wild Card spot, which makes their deadline path a little murkier. One possibility now back in the conversation: Adley Rutschman.
Rutschman had faded from the rumor mill after earlier speculation, but MLB insider Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported Wednesday that the All-Star catcher could still be available. He also named the Yankees as one of the teams that could be involved if Baltimore decides to listen.
“Yankees are among many teams to check on 3-time All-Star/switch-hitting catcher Adley Rutschman. NYY is casting a wide net for catching need.
Ryan Jeffers, pending free agent, seemed logical but Twins suggest they’re a buyer now. Tyler Stephenson, others are on NYY list,” Heyman reported.
If Baltimore did move Rutschman, it would not automatically mean the Orioles are tearing things down. They could still try to strengthen other parts of the roster while leaning toward Samuel Basallo as the catcher of the future.
Basallo, though, is currently injured. Rutschman is under team control through the 2027 campaign, so trading him now would be about maximizing value, though the Orioles could also explore an extension.
The Yankees are clearly doing their homework. Manager Aaron Boone said he has been talking with general manager Brian Cashman and the front office about possible moves. New York has been tied not only to Rutschman, but also to Skubal as it looks for help behind the plate and elsewhere.
Skubal has also been linked to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and that fit has picked up steam because of Shohei Ohtani’s knee injury. MLB insider Jon Morosi of MLB Network said Wednesday that the Dodgers’ pursuit has grown for that reason.
“The Dodgers’ interest in Tarik Skubal has increased due to questions surrounding Shohei Ohtani’s availability to pitch, as I reported on @MLBNetwork earlier,” MLB insider Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported Wednesday.
Elsewhere in the National League, the Phillies are dealing with a little deadline tension of their own. Bryce Harper said in an interview Tuesday that the team needs “help” before the deadline, and interim general manager Don Mattingly did not exactly embrace the comment.
“I don't like it from the fact of… You're saying you don't like our players,” Mattingly said, via Foul Territory and Tyler Boronski. “… When you say something about our team, then you're saying something about one of our players that you don't like.”
Philadelphia is hoping the noise stays just that, because the club could use upgrades, especially in the lineup, before Monday arrives.
In Other News...
Tigers Suddenly Hold The Deadline Decision Fans Have Waited On
Tarik Skubals latest turn in the rotation was a reminder that the Tigers are still living in the middle of a deadline decision, not the aftermath of one. Detroit has a real fork in the road with the trade deadline approaching, weighing whether to add help for a postseason push or listen on valuable arms that could reshape the roster in a hurry.
Skubal is far from the only name in the conversation, either, with Casey Mize, Kenley Jansen and Jack Flaherty all part of the same larger question about what direction the Tigers want to take. For now, the fact that Skubal is still taking the ball suggests the front office has not made its final call, and that uncertainty alone is enough to keep the rest of the league watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Urged To Pay A Massive Price For Tarik Skubal
Tarik Skubal keeps surfacing as the kind of deadline name that can alter a contenders entire summer, and Milwaukee has been floated as a club that should be aggressive if Detroit decides to listen. The appeal is obvious from the Brewers side: a front-line starter would instantly deepen a rotation that has been viewed as the teams biggest October question, and Skubal would give them the sort of impact arm that changes how a postseason series is managed.
For Detroit, any serious conversation would have to start with real talent coming back, which is why the prospect side of the equation matters so much. The Tigers are not in a position to move a pitcher of Skubals caliber lightly, and even if they entertain offers before the deadline, they would still have to weigh whether another club can beat the best package on the table or whether keeping him remains the smarter play. [Read more 🡒]