New Tarik Skubal Trade Rumors Reveal Tigers' Stance, Top Landing Spots Ahead of MLB Deadline

With six days remaining before the MLB trade deadline and one day before his next scheduled start, Tarik Skubal's future as a member of the Detroit Tigers is very uncertain.

Per ESPN's Jeff Passan, rival executives say the Tigers "want to trade" Skubal, but it's a question of "can they" part with him?

If the Tigers do shop Skubal around, Passan cited the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers as being among teams that would have interest in the two-time AL Cy Young winner.

The Tigers have been stuck in the difficult position of being close enough in the standings to talk themselves into being a playoff contender, but they haven't been over .500 since May 3 (18-17).

A three-game losing streak, including an 8-5 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Monday, dropped the Tigers to 50-57 overall and four games out of the AL's final wild card spot.

If a Skubal trade does come together, the Dodgers are the team most people have been focused on. However, it doesn't sound like they are actively pursuing him right now.

Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times reported Monday the Dodgers "don't appear to be moving toward" a deal for Skubal, though she cautioned they can never been "fully" dismissed with any talks involving a star player.

One big problem in figuring out a Skubal trade is the price Detroit will put on him. His talent and resume could make him a swing player in the World Series race, but how much will a team want to give up as he heads toward free agency after this season?

Not surprisingly, several teams Passan mentioned as potential landing spots for Skubal boast strong farm systems. B/R's Joel Reuter has the Dodgers, Rays and Brewers all ranked in the top five.

The Phillies and Braves both rank in the bottom 10 farm systems, but they have enough talent at the top to build a solid offer for a two-month rental player if the Tigers want to start a bidding war.

Any concerns about Skubal after undergoing elbow surgery earlier in the season appear to have been alleviated. The left-hander has a 2.70 ERA with 65 strikeouts over 46.2 innings in eight starts since returning from the IL on June 13.

The MLB trade deadline is Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. ET. Skubal is penciled in to start for the Tigers on Wednesday in their series finale against the Orioles.