The Tampa Bay Rays are in first place, but that hasn’t slowed the trade chatter one bit.
With the Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline closing in, the Rays are still being linked to moves that could help them hold off the New York Yankees in the American League East.
Tampa Bay enters play on July 27 at 62-43, the best record in the AL, and sits three games ahead of New York. That kind of cushion invites ambition, and Jim Bowden of The Athletic thinks he has the ideal target for them: Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal.
Bowden identified one or two players as the “perfect trade target” for each team, and Skubal was his pick for Tampa Bay. It’s easy to see why.
Over the past few seasons, Skubal has established himself as one of the game’s premier arms, and his résumé is packed with hardware. He has won consecutive AL Cy Young Awards over the last two years, led the AL in ERA and bWAR in both seasons, and in 2024 he topped all of baseball in wins, bWAR and strikeouts.
Even with a left elbow injury and surgery in May to remove loose bodies, Skubal has still put together a strong season. In 15 starts, he owns a 2.70 ERA with 110 strikeouts, 13 walks and a 0.922 WHIP across 90 innings.
For the Rays, the fit is obvious. Their rotation already includes Drew Rasmussen, Shane McClanahan, Nick Martinez, Griffin Jax and Ian Seymour, and it has been solid this season. Skubal at the top would change the look of that group in a major way.
Of course, the biggest question is whether Detroit would actually move him. Skubal can become a free agent after this season, and the Tigers are sitting in fourth place in the AL Central at 50-56, which makes a deadline deal at least plausible.
Bowden didn’t hide his view on the situation, saying, "I don't think Detroit is going to keep [Tarik Skubal]. It would be a big mistake."
If the Tigers do decide to deal him, Tampa Bay would make plenty of sense as a landing spot. Adding Skubal would give the Rays a major boost in their push to stay atop the division, and it would also strengthen their chances of making a deeper postseason run.
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