MLB Trade Rumors: Tigers “Engaged in Talks” With 2 Top Teams for Tarik Skubal

Could Tarik Skubal become the first AL pitcher to be traded in the middle of a Cy Young season? The Detroit Tigers could make the first part come to fruition, as rumors are that they are "engaged in talks" with both the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Baltimore Orioles.

Both teams are serious World Series contenders who have a need for another impact starting pitcher. And each club has a wealth of young prospects to dangle in front of the Tigers.

The #Tigers have discussed a trade including SP Tarik Skubal with the #Orioles and the #Dodgers, per @BNightengale

Nightingale notes it remains unlikely that Skubal is traded unless DET is overwhelmed by an offer. pic.twitter.com/7UT1JGK1pG
— MLB Deadline News (@MLBDeadlineNews) July 21, 2024

The O's rotation has been decimated by injuries, having lost Kyle Bradish, Tyler Wells, and John Means to season-ending injuries. The Dodgers, too, have an injured list littered with names from their starting rotation, including Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Walker Buehler, and Dustin May, though the first two could be back in days.

As noted by baseball insider Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the cost to acquire Skubal will be enormous, and Detroit would have to be "overwhelmed" by an offer to deal the leading contender for the American League Cy Young award this season.

Skubal is far and away the odds-on favorite, listed at -130 to win the award, while the Orioles' Corbin Burnes is second at +270. Nobody else is even close, at +1000 or worse.

The 27-year-old is 10-3 with a 2.41 ERA and 0.88 WHIP with a sensational 140:16 strikeout-to-walk ratio, whiffing 10.9 batters per nine innings.

Nightengale writes that the Tigers would be "out of their minds" to trade the young flame-thrower. But at the trade deadline, crazier things have happened.