New Tarik Skubal Trade Rumors Reveal Likelihood of Deal Ahead of Deadline Amid Dodgers, Cubs Buzz

A Tarik Skubal trade feels like a foregone conclusion at this point.

According to Robert Murray of Fansided, "The expectation among rival executives is that the Detroit Tigers will trade Skubal. That sentiment had been growing in recent weeks, and once the Tigers blew a 7-0 lead to the Baltimore Orioles in Skubal's start on Wednesday, a prominent National League executive texted: 'He gone.'"

He added that most executives have predicted the Los Angeles Dodgers will land the two-time defending AL Cy Young winner, though one exec predicted the Tampa Bay Rays while another went with the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Dodgers, loaded with a deep farm system, deeper financial pockets and the best roster in the sport, are always going to be the favorites for a player like Skubal as they seek to win a third straight title.

But other contenders would be wise to at least check in on the Skubal talks. That includes the Chicago Cubs, who reportedly are "considering" the superstar pitcher as their "blockbuster option ahead of Monday's trade deadline," per The Athletic's Patrick Mooney.

Still, a pecking order has emerged.

"The Brewers, Rays and Dodgers have the most high-end prospects to move," a source told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. "It would be somewhat surprising if he didn't wind up with one of those three teams."

Whoever ultimately pays up, Skubal's time in Detroit is very clearly over.

But... why?

The 29-year-old is having yet another vintage year despite some earlier injury issues, going 7-5 on the season with a 2.79 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 116 strikeouts in 96.2 innings. Why not give arguably the best left-handed pitcher in the sport the money he wants in an extension?

It's not as though Skubal is publicly pushing to leave. Quite the contrary, it turns out.

"I've never been more motivated to try to win a World Series for this city, the team drafted me in 2018 and helped develop me," he told reporters last week. "That's always been the goal, and that will never change unless I'm told I'm on a different team."

And for whatever issues Skubal may have with ownership and the team's front office after his arbitration battles with Detroit, it hasn't soured his relationships elsewhere within the organization.

"Of course, when you take a player to arbitration, there's not a ton of positive things that come out of that process, relationship-wise," he told reporters last week. "That's pretty obvious. But my relationship with the coaching staff and the players and my teammates, it's the same as it always is."

If the Tigers aren't willing to come close to Skubal's expected contract, of course, trading him now and getting a haul of prospects in return makes sense. But letting it get to this point was never necessary, and now a team like the Dodgers may be the ultimate beneficiary.