The Toronto Blue Jays aren’t sitting quietly this offseason-and they shouldn’t be. After coming within a game of toppling the powerhouse Dodgers, this team knows it’s on the cusp of something special. And if there’s one move that could push them over the edge, it might be chasing down one of the most dominant arms in the American League: Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal.
Skubal, a two-time Cy Young winner, is reportedly at the center of trade speculation as arbitration talks with Detroit continue to stall. He’s entering the final year of his current deal, and if the Tigers can’t lock him up long-term, they may be forced to listen to offers. That’s where Toronto comes in.
Let’s be clear: landing Skubal wouldn’t be cheap. But the Blue Jays have the pieces to make it happen-and the incentive.
Their farm system runs deeper than it gets credit for, and they’ve already made significant upgrades to their rotation with the additions of Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce. But Skubal?
He’s on another level.
We’re talking about a left-hander who just wrapped up a season with a 13-6 record, a sparkling 2.21 ERA, 241 strikeouts, and a WHIP under 0.90 across 195 innings. That’s not just ace material-that’s Cy Young dominance. Plug him into a postseason rotation alongside Cease, Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, and potentially Trey Yesavage, and suddenly Toronto’s pitching staff becomes a nightmare matchup for any contender in the American League.
Of course, the cost would be steep. Yesavage, a top-tier prospect, could headline a return package for Detroit. But the Blue Jays also have other MLB-ready arms like Ricky Tiedemann and Jake Bloss, plus intriguing position players such as Addison Barger, Nathan Lukes, and JoJo Parker who could sweeten the deal.
This is the kind of move that signals a franchise going all-in. But it also raises a critical question: are the Blue Jays ready to commit to another massive contract?
With Kyle Tucker still on their radar-and a potential nine-figure deal looming there too-Toronto could be staring down the barrel of three major financial commitments in three years. That’s a big ask, even for a team this close to winning it all.
Still, if the front office is willing to push the chips in, trading for Skubal might be the smartest play on the board. He’s not just a rental-he’s a tone-setter, a rotation leader, and the kind of arm that can carry a team through October. And if the Blue Jays want to go toe-to-toe with their World Series rivals again, this is the kind of splash that could put them over the top.
The window is open. The roster is close. Now it’s up to Toronto to decide just how far they’re willing to go to finish the job.