The Tampa Bay Rays showed up at the trade deadline ready to add, and they did exactly that. Liam Hicks was a solid pickup, and even if Freddy Peralta’s first outing in a Rays uniform didn’t go the way anyone hoped, he still gives the club an upside arm to work with.
But when it came to Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, Tampa Bay was never really in position to make a real run.
Skubal would have been a massive boost for the Rays’ rotation, but the path to get him was blocked from the start. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that Tampa Bay had one clear untouchable in Theo Gillen, and that alone made serious negotiations tough. The problem got even bigger from there.
“For the Rays to be in the mix, they needed to include their top prospect, outfielder Theo Gillen, a first-round steal taken with the No. 18 pick in a 2024 draft that might rival 2005 as the best this century,” Passan writes. “Tampa Bay, whose operating philosophy requires homegrown talent on inexpensive deals, declined to make Gillen available.”
Once Gillen was off the table, the Rays’ best remaining prospect capital didn’t line up well with what Detroit would want. Passan noted that Tampa Bay’s second- and third-best prospects, catchers Caden Bodine and Nathan Flewelling, share a position with Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler, who he called “the best catcher in baseball.”
That overlap made the fit clunky at best and unrealistic at worst. If Tampa Bay had a surplus at another spot, maybe there was a conversation to be had. Instead, the pieces didn’t line up in a way that could get a Skubal deal across the finish line.
The situation also underscored a broader truth about carrying multiple good catchers: unless one is being used as a trade chip or shifted to designated hitter or first base, it doesn’t solve much. The source pointed to Baltimore as an example, noting the Orioles just traded Adley Rutschman with Samuel Basallo now in-house.
In the end, the Rays and Tigers never had a clean framework for a Skubal trade this summer. Tampa Bay may have wanted the pitcher, and Detroit might have been willing to listen if Gillen had been included, but the odds of that kind of deal coming together were always slim to none.
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Tigers Still Have A Real Shot If They Make These 3 Tweaks
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One path would be to lean into the bullpen market, with free-agent relievers Lou Trivino and Craig Kimbrel both viewed as possible additions. Another would be to tap into Triple-A and give Corey Julks a look, adding another bat and a different type of energy to the mix. None of those moves would remake the Tigers, but for a team still within striking distance, the right combination of modest tweaks could be enough to keep the season from drifting away. [Read more 🡒]
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Jansen said he still needs to improve, even with the strong run he has put together lately, a reminder that the Tigers are asking more of him than clean innings. Detroit also passed along rehab updates for Brant Hurter and Wenceel Perez while reshuffling the pitching staff to make room for Jackson Jobes return, and those moving parts only sharpen the need for steady voices at the back end. For a team trying to settle in after deadline changes, Jansen looks ready to be part of that answer, even if the full picture is still taking shape. [Read more 🡒]
Jackson Jobe's Return Could Change Detroit's Playoff Push
Jackson Jobe is back on the active roster at a time when Detroit could use every bit of pitching help it can get. The Tigers activated the right-hander from the 60-day injured list and sent reliever Brenan Hanifee to Triple-A Toledo, a roster shuffle that comes on the heels of trades involving Casey Mize and Gage Workman and creates a clearer path for Jobe to step into the rotation.
The move gives Detroit a fresh arm with real long-term significance, but it also brings a measure of uncertainty as the club tries to keep its playoff push on track. Jobes return has been a long time coming after Tommy John surgery, and his next outing will be watched closely as the Tigers sort through a staff that has already been reshaped by recent transactions. [Read more 🡒]