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Tarik Skubal #29 of the Detroit Tigers pitches against the Athletics during the first inning at Comerica Park on June 24, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)

Yankees fans, can you imagine landing Tarik Skubal in a trade this summer?

A recent report by USA Today’s Bob Nightengale indicates that a bidding war is going to commence soon regarding Tarik Skubal after the Detroit Tigers‘ recent losing skid.

@FiresideYankees writes: “Rival executives believe the bidding for Tarik Skubal at the deadline will come down to the Dodgers, Yankees, Padres, and Blue Jays.”

Nightenagle also wrote (on May 24): “Now that it’s becoming inevitable that the free-falling Detroit Tigers may have no choice but to trade two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal at the deadline, rival executives believe the bidding will come down to four finalists that not only can afford the remainder of his $32 million contract, but will also be willing to give up prized prospects:”

It’s no surprise that the Yankees are linked with the Dodgers, Padres, and Blue Jays as being the teams with a chance to land the 2X AL Cy Young winner, Tarik Skubal.

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Tigers’ Tarik Skubal Emerging as Top Trade Candidate

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 29: Tarik Skubal #29 of the Detroit Tigers pitches in the second inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on April 29, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Tarik Skubal is emerging as the top MLB trade candidate this cycle, and as the deadline looms (August 3), the consensus from MLB insiders is that the Detroit Tigers will field offers for their superstar starter.

The Skubal sweepstakes are so unique because we’ve never seen a player like Skubal be on the trade block. He’s missed the last month with an elbow injury and is set to be a free agent this offseason. There might not be a time when it’s made more sense to trade Tarik Skubal than right now.

As for what it might take to land Skubal in these massive sweepstakes is where things get tricky. The Yankees certainly have tradeable assets to offer Detroit (Elmer Rodriguez, Spencer Jones, Ben Hess, Chase Hampton, just to name a few), but will the Yankees be able to retain Skubal in free agency? And if not, would they want to offer a big chunk of prospects for a three-month rental?

However, the rebuttal to that is Skubal is unlike any other rental addition that’s acquired via trade, because he might immediately make the Yankees World Series favorites after a potential deal.

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Will Tarik Skubal Be Traded?

GettyCLEVELAND, OHIO – SEPTEMBER 30: Tarik Skubal #29 of the Detroit Tigers celebrates a strikeout in the seventh inning against the Cleveland Guardians during game one of the American League Wild Card Series at Progressive Field on September 30, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

It’s still too early to tell whether Tarik Skubal will be traded or not. Bob Nightengale has been pumping out Tarik Skubal trade speculation reports for a long time at this point, and it’s hard to tell if they will actually materialize or not.

After one MLB executive told FanSided.com reporters that AJ Preller or Andrew Friedman might have the wherewithal to trade for Skubal, the Yankees and Blue Jays join the Dodgers and Padres as suitors for obvious reasons (playoff aspirations and trade capital).

Either way, this recent report is good news for the Yankees, and let the speculation & rumor game begin!

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