The MLB trade deadline is two months away, but that won’t stop the news from coming in. With the Detroit Tigers spiraling out of control, the latest news from Ken Rosenthal about ace Tarik Skubal gives us a strong indication of where the organization stands.

If the Tigers choose to move on from the two-time Cy Young award winner, there will be no shortage of suitors. But only so many teams have the motivation and the necessary prospects to get the deal done. Let’s explore some of the best options out there.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Current World Series Odds: +195

Whenever a superstar hits the market, you have to consider the Dodgers first. As LA goes for a three-peat, adding another ace to their loaded rotation could push them over the top.

Los Angeles surely has the prospects to get this done. Josue De Paula, Zyhir Hope, and Eduardo Quintero are all top-40 prospects, according to MLB.com, and it’s possible Detroit asks for all three as a return. With the Tigers presumably wanting a quick turnaround on a lost season, major-league-ready pitchers like River Ryan and Jackson Ferris make a lot of sense as part of the package.

The only theoretical drawback is that this gives LA too many viable SP options. Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell will be in the rotation when healthy, alongside Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, and Skubal. Will Dave Roberts opt for a six-man rotation, or will they fully push Emmet Sheehan, Justin Wrobleski, and Roki Sasaki to the bullpen? Could any of those three be a part of the trade package? Would LA consider sending one of Glasnow or Snell back to Detroit to balance the books?

There are many ways to get this deal done, but the motivation is on LA’s side. Detroit would have a hard time saying no if Andrew Friedman wants to empty the farm system.

Chicago Cubs

Current World Series Odds: +1900

It’s been a rough couple weeks for the Cubs. They sustained a 10-game losing streak, dropped out of first place in the NL Central, and lost Edward Cabrera to the injured list. With Cabrera and Matthew Boyd injured, Shota Imanaga struggling, and their SP depth failing to step up, few teams need a rotation upgrade more than the Cubs.

In addition to a dire SP need, the Cubs also have the means to pay Skubal and the prospects to trade for him. There would be hope that he isn’t strictly a rental. Pedro Ramírez, Jaxon Wiggins, and Jefferson Rojas would get them in the conversation as trade package headliners. Ramírez is showing prodigious power with the Cubbies, Kevin Alcántara is on the doorstep of being an MLB regular, and Wiggins is ready for promotion as well. If Detroit prioritizes a package of major-league-ready prospects, Chicago has a very appealing offer in the wings. It’s just a matter of whether or not the Cubs would take the risk on adding a potential rental to a team barely above .500.

New York Yankees

Current World Series odds: +600

Now this would be an embarrassment of riches. The Yankees have the best rotation ERA in baseball, and adding Skubal would give them a rotation rivaled only by the Dodgers. If they add the Tigers ace, they could field a playoff rotation of Skubal, Cam Schlittler, Gerrit Cole, and Max Fried. Having Carlos Rodón and Ryan Weathers as bullpen/depth options would be ridiculous.

Much like the Dodgers, they could use their SP depth to bolster the package. Will Warren and Luis Gil could be part of the major-league-ready pitchers heading back to Detroit. Elmer Rodriguez, who debuted this year, could be a headliner here. Carlos Lagrange is another pitcher with big stuff who could jump into Detroit’s pitching staff right away.

New York’s farm system is arguably light on depth, but they have high-end position-player prospects to get this done. George Lombard Jr. and Dax Kilby are both excellent shortstop prospects, and Spencer Jones has limitless power to be tapped into if he can work on his swing-and-miss tendencies. With the added bonus that New York has the resources to re-sign Skubal if all goes well, he could turn the Yankees into overwhelming favorites in the American League.

Milwaukee Brewers

Current World Series odds: +1500

Now, hear me out. The Milwaukee Brewers will not be re-signing Tarik Skubal in the offseason. Heck, they won’t even try. But if you’re searching for teams with the motivation to get a rental ace and the farm system to do so, Milwaukee has to be on your list.

Of course, having the top prospect in baseball helps. Detroit will surely ask for Jesús Made, the 19-year-old shortstop who is major-league-ready. But I believe Milwaukee could get this done without moving off Made. It starts with Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams, the two prospects they got from the Mets in the Freddy Peralta trade. Sproat could step right into the spot in the rotation vacated by Skubal, and Williams could fill the spot likely to be vacated by a Gleyber Torres trade. But it would surely take more than that.

Milwaukee would have to think hard about offering Luis Peña, their second-best shortstop prospect and the 18th-best prospect in baseball, according to MLB.com. With the addition of MLB-ready arms like Shane Drohan, Robert Gasser, and Coleman Crow, a Sproat/Williams/Peña headlining trio gets Milwaukee in the conversation. But whether or not they would risk paying such a price for a pure rental is a bigger question.

With a full two months left before the deadline, there are going to be a lot of ups and downs in the Skubal rumor mill. But with the Tigers in last place, they will surely be taking calls. Who pays the winning price could end up swinging the entire 2026 MLB season.