The New York Yankees are seemingly always linked to the top players available in free agency and in trade rumors. This winter has been no different, with the Yankees being linked to players like Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette, and a crop of starters in the trade market.
But, while MacKenzie Gore, Edward Cabrera, and Sandy Alcantara are interesting options, there's a clear top trade candidate in the starting pitching market. That player is Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal.
For Evan Petzold of The Detroit Free Press, the Yankees are one of five potential trade destinations for Skubal this offseason. Petzold put together trade pitches for each of those teams, and for the Yankees, the package is headlined by Jasson Dominguez.
Yankees trade pitch lands Tarik Skubal for Jasson Dominguez, more
"Tigers acquire: OF Jasson Dominguez, RHP Carlos Lagrange, RHP Ben Hess, RHP Cade Smith," Petzold pitched.
This return is headlined by Dominguez, who's one of the Yankees' outfield options for the 2026 season. But Lagrange is the 2nd-ranked Yankees prospect, while Hess is ranked 6th and Smith is ranked 19th.
New York would have one of the best rotations in baseball when fully healthy, with Skubal, Gerrit Cole, Mac Fried, and Carlos Rodon on top of Cam Schlittler, Will Warren, and Clarke Schmidt.
More: Yankees urged to swap Jasson Dominguez to Marlins for 6'5'' ace
While it might be overkill to have so many starting pitchers, as seen by the Los Angeles Dodgers' World Series title, having too many starters isn't the worst idea.
Sending this package for Skubal is, in a vacuum, a very appealing trade from the Yankees' perspective. However, with Skubal hitting free agency after 2026, this trade could wind up being a rental.
Moving on from Lagrange, Hess, Dominguez, and Smith for one season of Skubal is a very steep price to pay for the two-time Cy Young ace.
But adding Skubal to the Yankees' rotation would not only give New York a great chance of making the postseason, but Skubal would also make them a top World Series contender.
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