Yankees Facing Trade Decision After Tarik Skubal Report

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Xavier Constantino | Last updated Jun 17, 2026 2:52 PM ET

The New York Yankees will gauge the cost of acquiring ace Tarik Skubal if the Detroit Tigers make their ace available before the Aug. 3 trade deadline, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Skubal, the two-time reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, is 3-3 with a 2.81 ERA over seven starts in a season that was interrupted by surgery to remove bone fragments from his throwing elbow. He returned to the mound nearly a month after having surgery on May 6, easily throwing 100 mph on a June 13 start.

Passan puts Skubal's chances of being moved at 85 percent, with the Tigers 25-38 and sliding out of the AL wild-card race. Skubal will be a free agent at the end of the season.

Free at ESPN: The top 100 trade candidates before the Aug. 3 deadline -- with the likelihood they move and potential landing spots. @kileymcd and I will be updating this list periodically as the deadline approaches to reflect teams' evolving statuses. https://t.co/4DX6hlcWkx
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 17, 2026

At 43-27, the Yankees hold the AL's best record behind a rotation fronted by Max Fried, Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon. Skubal would deepen an already strong staff, though landing him would likely cost a package around New York's top prospects. Names like Carlos Lagrange, George Lombard Jr. and Elmer Rodriguez are names that Detroit would be eyeing if the Yankees come calling.

The urgency runs deeper than just this season. The Yankees reached the World Series in 2024, losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Aaron Judge, 34 and sidelined with an injury, has fewer prime years left to chase another title.

Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) throws a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning at Comerica Park on Apr 23, 2026. Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

It's the same franchise that was run by George Steinbrenner, who spared no expense building the late-1990s dynasty that won four titles in five years, a standard that the Yankees have not matched since 2009. Adding the best pitcher in the AL would put the rest of the league on notice that the George Steinbrenner-era Yankees are back.

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

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