Insider Expects Padres To Be in On Tarik Skubal

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Logan VanDine | Last updated Jun 4, 2026 2:28 PM ET

If there's one thing that A.J. Preller has shown during his tenure as the San Diego Padres general manager, it is his willingness to go all-in and acquire All-Star players in exchange for top prospects.

A couple of great examples are the acquisition of Juan Soto from the Washington Nationals during the 2022 deadline, and the addition of All-Star closer Mason Miller from the Athletics last season. The move to acquire Miller has panned out so well for San Diego that Cy Young Award talks have swirled around the hard-throwing righty this year.

With the Padres continuing to breathe down the neck of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West standings, you can certainly expect Preller to go all-in once again at this year's trade deadline. If San Diego wants to go on a deep run in October this season, Preller should be in on this player who is expected to be available come the August 3 deadline.

During an appearance on the Foul Territory podcast, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic said that he fully anticipates the Padres to be among many teams interested in Tarik Skubal.

"I fully expect the Padres to be one of the many teams in on Tarik Skubal if he becomes available," Rosenthal said.

"I fully expect the Padres to be one of the many teams in on Tarik Skubal if he becomes available."@Ken_Rosenthal says he's heard that teams believe Padres' new ownership will authorize AJ Preller to take on more money. pic.twitter.com/c7sugzQaBp
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) June 4, 2026

While Rosenthal also noted that the Padres may look for some bats via the trade market due to their disappointing offense this year, Skubal is absolutely someone the Padres may show a lot of interest in.

San Diego is currently without a couple of their top arms in Nick Pivetta (elbow inflammation) and Joe Musgrove (Tommy John surgery) and will surely look to bolster their starting staff between now and the deadline.

Skubal's name remains a hot commodity on the trade market, and despite still being in rehab after undergoing surgery to remove loose bodies in his left elbow, the expectation is that the Detroit Tigers will deal the back-to-back AL Cy Young Award winner.

The asking price may be high, but A.J. Preller has shown over the course of his tenure constructing the Padres' roster that if a top player is available, he will pounce.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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