Another day, another chance for the Tarik Skubal rumor mill to kick into high gear.
Here's the latest buzz on the Detroit Tigers left-hander as the Aug. 3 trade deadline approaches.
"The Tigers are at least mulling the possibility of securing a package for Skubal that potentially would keep them strong in the present while making them stronger for the future," The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon reported Wednesday.
"The way they would do it, according to two rival executives briefed on the Tigers’ thinking, is by trading Skubal for a controllable starting pitcher plus quality prospects," Rosenthal and Sammon added.
According to the report, that leaves the following clubs in the mix: the Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies, Tampa Bay Rays, Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees.
The problem with trading for Skubal is the two-time Cy Young Award winner will be a free agent after the season, so he could be nothing more than a short-term rental. It will be interesting to see which clubs, if any, are willing to deal top prospects and "lesser starting pitcher under greater club control."
Also complicating matters is the Tigers' playoff positioning. They're just 6.5 games back in the American League Central and five games back in the AL Wild Card standings.
"They've chipped away at their deficit and ... there is a real case for keeping Skubal," ESPN's Jeff Passan and Buster Olney reported Wednesday. "And yet the benefit to the 2027, 2028 and 2029 Tigers (and beyond) in trading Skubal would be enormous."
FanGraphs gives the Tigers a 28.6% chance of making the playoffs. The higher that number creeps over the next couple of weeks, the lower the chances of a Skubal trade drop.