If you were waiting for a report to finally connect the Chicago Cubs to Tarik Skubal, The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney delivered on Wednesday night. Now, whether you believe the Cubs will actually have the aggressive mindset to execute a trade for Skubal, or if they even have enough to entice the Detroit Tigers to make a deal, is still up for debate.
But hey, Cubs fans, Mooney gave us a cookie, becoming the first reporter to say yes, the Cubs obviously need to trade for a starting pitcher, and Skubal will certainly be considered.
Via The Athletic.
In a wide-ranging search for pitching reinforcements, the Chicago Cubs are considering Tarik Skubal as their blockbuster option ahead of Monday’s trade deadline, according to several baseball officials who were granted anonymity to candidly discuss a still-developing market.
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Crossing that threshold for a deal will be difficult for the Cubs, especially if organizations with deeper farm systems, such as the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers, make Skubal a priority.
It will be tough, but if the Cubs get creative, then there is a path to getting Skubal by Monday’s trade deadline.
First, what do the Tigers want in return? By all accounts, the Tigers’ main priority would be to acquire a young, cost-controlled starting pitcher, but of course they won’t be saying no to any top prospects regardless of position from any team that calls for Skubal.
At 51-58, the Tigers are currently six games back of first place in the AL Central and 4.5 games back of the third Wild Card spot in the American League; however, they’d have to catch six teams. They would love to get back a pitcher who can immediately slide into the rotation in place of Skubal; while no one will be able to match his production, their hope is that they can still remain competitive in 2026.
If the Tigers are steadfast on getting a starting pitcher who can help them this year, then it might be difficult for the Cubs to get into the conversation. He puts up good numbers and is under team control through 2028, but Javier Assad isn’t moving the needle. Jaxon Wiggins, who began the year as the Cubs’ top prospect and a consensus top-100 prospect, has been sidelined most of the year, and when he has pitched, he’s been wild.
But if the Tigers know that they have little to no chance of getting into the playoffs this year and truly want the best talent for their future, then the Cubs have a shot.
I’ll preface this by saying that it all depends on how aggressive and how desperate the Cubs feel about 2026. Yes, they’re currently in second place in their division, but they have the No. 3 offense in baseball, the best position group in MLB above the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the highest-rated defense. Getting the best starting pitcher on the market could arguably put them over the top in October.
With that being said, do the Cubs dare to offer Cade Horton? Ben Brown? It’s always tough making deals that involve injured players. Horton had Tommy John surgery back in April, and he may not return until the second half of 2027. Brown has been dealing with a neck strain, and at this point, he may not come back until September at the earliest. Still, they are very talented pitchers with success at the major-league level, and they’re under team control for several years.
The Cubs may need to include one of them in order to join the Skubal sweepstakes, but it wouldn’t stop there. Matt Shaw would probably be on the table with a few other prospects.
If the Tigers aren’t fans of Horton or Brown, then the Cubs would have to offer up their No. 1 prospect, Josiah Hartshorn, in a package that would also include Wiggins and Shaw. If you think that’s too much, then it’s enough to get the best pitcher in baseball. Yes, even for two months, about 12 starts in the regular season, and a few more in October, it could very much be worth it for the Cubs.
We’ll see just how much risk Jed Hoyer is willing to endure at the trade deadline, but just know that if you’re a Cubs fan who wants Tarik Skubal, it’s going to hurt.
