This deal would rock the baseball world, but the Tigers and Orioles know what’s best for business.
An ace pitcher on a non-playoff team is always subject to trade rumors. That is the case for Tarik Skubal, the Detroit Tigers’ Cy Young Award candidate who is a hot-button topic days before the MLB trade deadline. Even though there hasn’t been much traction on an actual deal taking place, Skubal’s name continues to be mentioned in trade talks.
In the same breath, the Baltimore Orioles have been mentioned on more than one occasion as an ideal landing spot if Skubal were to be traded. They have plenty of prospect capital to acquire a No. 1 pitcher with multiple years of control and are in a position to be a consistent World Series contender for the foreseeable future. It seems like a perfect match for all parties.
In the same breath, the Baltimore Orioles have been mentioned on more than one occasion as an ideal landing spot if Skubal were to be traded. They have plenty of prospect capital to acquire a No. 1 pitcher with multiple years of control and are in a position to be a consistent World Series contender for the foreseeable future. It seems like a perfect match for all parties.
Among those prospects is Jackson Holliday, the consensus top prospect in Minor League Baseball. It’s unthinkable for a team to trade the undisputed top prospect in baseball, but it might be worth it for a talent like Tarik Skubal.
MLB insider Jeff Passan reports that such a swap is unrealistic, even though it’s a fun hypothetical to throw around.
“The discussion is more bar chatter than realistic,” Passan wrote. “The Tigers would want more than Holliday — if only to mitigate the risk if he busts — and the Orioles would blanch at even considering moving him. Even if it’s moot, though, it’s still fun to consider, if only because the game is yearning for a big move with no others on the horizon.”
The Orioles promoted Holliday in April but his first stint in the big leagues lasted two weeks. The 20-year-old is back to form in Triple-A after missing time with an injury, though Baltimore is in no rush to bring him back to the majors or trade him.
In the same breath, the Baltimore Orioles have been mentioned on more than one occasion as an ideal landing spot if Skubal were to be traded. They have plenty of prospect capital to acquire a No. 1 pitcher with multiple years of control and are in a position to be a consistent World Series contender for the foreseeable future. It seems like a perfect match for all parties.
Among those prospects is Jackson Holliday, the consensus top prospect in Minor League Baseball. It’s unthinkable for a team to trade the undisputed top prospect in baseball, but it might be worth it for a talent like Tarik Skubal.
MLB insider Jeff Passan reports that such a swap is unrealistic, even though it’s a fun hypothetical to throw around.
“The discussion is more bar chatter than realistic,” Passan wrote. “The Tigers would want more than Holliday — if only to mitigate the risk if he busts — and the Orioles would blanch at even considering moving him. Even if it’s moot, though, it’s still fun to consider, if only because the game is yearning for a big move with no others on the horizon.”
The Orioles promoted Holliday in April but his first stint in the big leagues lasted two weeks. The 20-year-old is back to form in Triple-A after missing time with an injury, though Baltimore is in no rush to bring him back to the majors or trade him.
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