The Tampa Bay Rays may be in the Tarik Skubal chase, but one name is reportedly off the table.
According to Jim Bowden of The Athletic on X, Tampa Bay will not include its No. 1 prospect, Theo Gillen, in any deal for the Detroit Tigers ace. Bowden said the same is true for the Milwaukee Brewers and their top prospect, Jesus Made.
“The Brewers are not going to include Jesus Made in any Tarik Skubal offer nor are the Rays going to offer Theo Gillen in a Skubal deal and rightfully so since its only a 3 month rental with neither team being able to afford him long term. But both teams still have enough to land him I am told,” Bowden wrote on X.
That doesn’t take the Rays out of the running. Bowden’s reporting suggests Tampa Bay still has enough prospect capital to get a deal done without touching Gillen.
And the Rays do have plenty to work with. Their system is loaded with high-upside talent, including outfielder Jacob Melton, along with pitching prospects Brody Hopkins, Michael Forret and Anderson Brito. Shortstop Cooper Flemming, first baseman Taitn Gray and outfielder Slater de Brun could also draw interest, even if more development is still needed.
It’s the kind of farm system that gives Tampa Bay options. Prospects outside the top 10 - even outside the top 15 - could rank much higher in other organizations. With several players nearing Rule 5 Draft eligibility, the Rays could also be a team that looks to consolidate talent and turn a package of prospects into a proven arm for a postseason push.
Skubal, the two-time defending American League Cy Young Award winner, is expected to draw plenty of attention if Detroit makes him available ahead of the MLB trade deadline. And if the Tigers do move him, the Rays figure to be among the clubs calling - just not with Gillen in the deal.
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