New Tarik Skubal Trade Rumors on Timeline for Deal Amid Dodgers, Cubs Buzz Ahead of MLB Deadline

While the Los Angeles Dodgers remain in pursuit of Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, they reportedly aren't alone as Monday's trade deadline approaches.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that the Milwaukee Brewers are also eyeing Skubal, and The Athletic's Patrick Mooney also named the Chicago Cubs as a team "considering" Skubal as "their blockbuster option."

Passan definitively declared that Skubal is "gonna be traded" and added that "the expectation is that's gonna happen within the next day or two." The back-to-back reigning AL Cy Young Award winner started Wednesday's game against the Baltimore Orioles and gave up three earned runs with six strikeouts across 6.2 innings before the team suffered a 10-9 loss in 12 innings. He became the fastest player to reach 1,000 career strikeouts.

Passan noted that the Brewers are among "the biggest threats" to land Skubal because of their "tremendous farm system." However, he dubbed the Dodgers as "the favorites at this point, and frankly have been since the possibility of Tarik Skubal getting traded first surfaced a couple of months ago."

"This will come to a head quickly. Multiple executives believe, just to ensure potential medical hiccups don't scuttle a deal with limited time to pivot, that Skubal will be moved, at latest, Monday morning," Passan reported. "The hours between now and then will be frenzied, teams trying to position themselves to win without overpaying too dearly. It's all great theater, and it's just a part of a trade deadline that goes well beyond a blockbuster deal."

Still, the Cubs are hoping to improve their pitching staff ahead of the playoffs. At 61-47, Chicago is well behind Milwaukee (67-41) in the NL Central and will likely be looking at a wild-card spot. Mooney noted that "starting the playoffs in the wild-card round reduces the World Series odds that Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer has repeatedly cited as a factor in how aggressive a front office should be at the trade deadline."

Despite Skubal heading toward free agency at the end of the season, the Tigers are sure to command a high price for the lefty hurler. As the trade deadline draws nearer, it will be fun to see which teams get more aggressive as they try to win the race for Skubal.