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A Tarik Skubal trade feels inevitable now. So which contender will get him?
Skubal's last start before the Trade Deadline might have sealed the deal. Skubal was great. He recorded his 1,000th career strikeout. He left to a standing ovation. But the Tigers blew a 7-0 lead and lost to the Orioles, 10-9, in 12 innings.
As much as any one game could, that loss could decide the Tigers' course of action in advance of Monday's 6 p.m. ET Deadline. Detroit has lost four of five games to fall to 51-58.
One executive told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand today: "If there was ever a sign that the Tigers should trade Skubal, that was it. The offers should start flowing in any minute."
And ESPN's Jeff Passan wrote in his Trade Deadline preview, "[The Tigers] haven't won enough to warrant Skubal staying, and he will be traded."
The question is, to who?
We're keeping track of all the latest Skubal rumors here, and Feinsand also has a thorough breakdown of Skubal's current trade situation.
Here's where things stand right now…
• At least seven contending teams have been connected to Skubal: the Dodgers, Brewers, Rays, Cubs, Phillies, Braves and Yankees. We break down the market for Skubal, including potential trade packages from the various interested teams.
• A Skubal trade could come together quickly. Passan reports: "Tarik Skubal is gonna be traded. The Tigers haven't gone to teams that are interested in him, and said as much at this point, but the expectation is that it's going to happen in the next day or two." He added today that rival executives expect a deal to happen by the morning of Monday's Deadline at the latest. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal also previously reported that rival clubs were starting to call the Tigers.
• The Dodgers and Brewers, thanks to their loaded farm systems, are seen as the favorites -- but especially the Dodgers. Passan said yesterday that rival Skubal suitors are "all almost resigned to the idea that the Los Angeles Dodgers are going to get Tarik Skubal."
• Recent questions about Shohei Ohtani's availability as a pitcher may be pushing the Dodgers all-in on Skubal. MLB Network insider Jon Paul Morosi reported yesterday that the Dodgers' interest in Skubal has increased due to Ohtani's left knee and biceps issues, and Rosenthal echoed that today. While L.A. does expect Ohtani to be back on the mound by the postseason, there is currently no timetable for his return.
• What would a rival contender like the Brewers have to give up to land Skubal? Former general manager Steve Phillips lays out potential trade packages for Milwaukee on MLB Network Radio. Rosenthal thinks the Brewers have the assets to get Skubal, but that the asking price might be too high, saying: "I just don't know that parting with the premium young talent it's going to take, that they're going to have enough of an appetite to do it."
• Don't count out the Rays, either -- especially after star left-hander Shane McClanahan left his start today in the fourth inning with what the club called "mid-back tightness." One source told Feinsand that: "The Brewers, Rays and Dodgers have the most high-end prospects to move. It would be somewhat surprising if he didn’t wind up with one of those three teams."
Follow the latest MLB trade buzz and Deadline news here >>
