The Atlanta Braves are at the point where Tarik Skubal can’t just be a deadline idea anymore. If they want to make the move that actually changes October, they need to stop circling and pay up before Monday’s official MLB trade deadline.
The price is steep, and it should be. The deal that makes sense is Atlanta sending outfielder Eric Hartman, infielder Tate Southisene, and right-hander Owen Murphy to the Detroit Tigers for Skubal.
That is a real haul, but Skubal is not some ordinary rental. He’s the back-to-back American League Cy Young Award winner, and players like that do not come cheap.
Atlanta can justify it because this is not a team scraping for a wild-card spot. The Braves sit atop the National League East, have one of baseball’s strongest run differentials, and have handled winning teams all season. Their deadline should be judged against the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers, not the clubs trying to catch them.
Chris Sale gives Atlanta a proven postseason presence, but the rest of the rotation still carries too many questions for a club with World Series expectations. Spencer Strider’s elbow trouble has clouded his outlook, and other injuries have only made the pitching picture murkier.
A lesser starter would help get them through the regular season. Skubal would give them the kind of dominant left-handed presence that can tilt an entire playoff series.
There are obvious reasons to hesitate. Skubal is headed for free agency after the season, and he is making a historic arbitration salary in his final year of club control.
He also had elbow surgery in May, which is no small thing. But his recent work has eased some of that concern.
After a shaky start, his last few outings have looked much more like the pitcher who ruled the American League over the previous two seasons. The swing-and-miss stuff, the command, the way he suppresses contact - it’s all been back in the upper tier of the sport.
That is why Hartman has to be the centerpiece. The outfielder has emerged as the biggest breakout prospect in Atlanta’s system, turning elite speed and real bat-to-ball skills into a profile that now includes power.
He has climbed near the top of the organization’s rankings and into national Top 100 conversations. He is no longer just a project with tools.
He looks like a potential impact player, which is exactly why Detroit would be right to insist on him.
Southisene adds the next layer. The athletic middle infielder has moved quickly through the system because of his plate discipline, speed, and ability to impact the ball.
He’s currently dealing with a wrist injury after being hit by a pitch in his Double-A debut and landing on the injured list, so there is some short-term uncertainty. But that doesn’t erase the bigger picture.
He remains one of Atlanta’s more valuable young position players and fits Detroit’s timeline.
Murphy gives the Tigers something more immediate. He has already reached the majors this season, pitched in relief, and made his first big-league start. He doesn’t carry the same ceiling as Hartman or Southisene, but he offers a controllable arm with a much higher floor than the usual lower-level pitching flyer.
Detroit does not have to move Skubal. The Tigers have been better than their record, own a positive run differential, and are still close enough to the American League wild-card race to justify holding on. Keeping him would preserve their best shot at a surprise run.
But front offices can’t run on hope alone. Detroit is still below .500, sits behind multiple teams in the wild-card chase, and would be taking a real risk if it lets Skubal walk for draft-pick compensation after the season.
Hartman, Southisene, and Murphy would bring more organizational value than that outcome. One has star upside, one brings athleticism and offensive projection, and one could help a major-league staff sooner rather than later.
The Braves would also be protecting their most important long-term pitching piece. Cam Caminiti, their top prospect, stays out of the deal. Atlanta would be giving up meaningful talent without gutting the system or sacrificing its best young arm.
That’s what makes this the kind of trade both sides should seriously weigh. Detroit would be turning a pure rental into a possible star, a high-upside infielder, and a useful young pitcher. Atlanta would be landing the rare starter who can reshape the National League playoff picture.
Nothing about a Skubal deal guarantees a championship. But opportunities like this do not hang around forever.
The Braves are in first place now. Sale is pitching like an October ace.
The Dodgers and Brewers are still standing in the way. Waiting for a cleaner moment is just another way of hoping the window stays open.
Atlanta should put Hartman, Southisene, and Murphy on the table, keep Caminiti out of it, and live with the cost. If the Braves want to give themselves the best possible shot at a title, this is the move.
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For the Tigers, the intrigue is not just about what Skubal means on the mound, but what his status says about where the franchise is headed in the next few days. The expectation around the league is that he could be moved, yet there is still enough uncertainty to keep the story alive, and the kind of attention he drew in his latest start only added to the sense that this is a decision that could reshape Detroits summer. [Read more 🡒]