The New York Yankees are a team always looking to improve their roster whenever possible. At the 2025 MLB trade deadline, Brian Cashman went out and landed a few key relievers and Jose Caballero to round out a solid roster.
But one of the issues that plagued the Yankees in the ALDS against the Toronto Blue Jays was their pitching staff, and more specifically, their starting rotation. Adding to the rotation this winter isn't out of the question, and one player would be a clear ideal fit.
As Jim Bowden of The Athletic mentions, the Yankees could be one of many suitors for Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal. The former MLB general manager linked the Yankees to Skubal in a move that could have the Yankees' rotation be the best in baseball in 2026.
Yankees linked to Tarik Skubal in potential offseason blockbuster trade
The Tigers' ace is heading into the final year of his deal and will be a free agent after 2026. Rumors suggest that Skubal and the Tigers are hundreds of millions of dollars apart in contract talks, which opens the door to a potential trade if Detroit can't lock him up beyond 2026.
"Therefore, even though the Tigers are in position to compete for the postseason next year," Bowden writes. "It's likely they shop Skubal at the Winter Meetings and try to make the best trade they can with so many big market teams with deep farm systems obviously wanting him, such as the Mets, Dodgers, Red Sox, Yankees, and Giants."
The Yankees won't be alone in trade talks for Skubal if the ace is actually available. Rarely does a player of his caliber become available, let alone be a realistic trade target.
But, with a contract chasm between Skubal and Detroit, and the Yankees' uncertainty in the rotation, a fit for Skubal in New York makes a lot of sense.
Adding him to the Yankees' rotation would be incredible. Max Fried, Garrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, and Skubal would be the best front-four starters in baseball. The only question for the Yankees would be what the cost would be to land Skubal.
Would they have to part with a young starter like Cameron Schlittler? Or could they move some other top minor league pitchers and a player like Luis Gil or Will Warren to make a trade work?
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Regardless of who it'd end up being, the Tigers won't settle for a deal involving Skubal. The Yankees would need to offload a king's ransom to land him. But, if the Yankees could get Skubal's production from the last two years, it'd be more than worth it.
He has a 2.21 ERA and 241 strikeouts this season in 31 starts with a 13-6 record. Skubal is heading towards a second-straight AL Cy Young Award, and while he's been one of the best regular-season pitchers, his playoff performances are even better.
This past playoffs for Detroit, Skubal pitched in three games, dealing in all of them. He went 7.2 innings against the Cleveland Guardians with 14 strikeouts and one earned run allowed.
Against the Seattle Mariners, he went 7.0 innings with nine strikeouts and two runs allowed. Finally, in Game 5, Skubal went six innings with 13 strikeouts while giving up just one run.
Adding an ace like Skubal to the Yankees' rotation would be a no-brainer for New York, especially after their rotation struggled in the playoffs in 2025.
The offseason could be a very interesting time for the Yankees, with Skubal being a realistic trade target to keep an eye on. As Bowden mentioned, the Yankees are a great fit for Skubal and have the resources to make the offseason trade work.
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