Tuesday Discussion: Trade for Skubal?
- SSTN Admin
- Jun 2
- 2 min read
June 2, 2026
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This week, we followed up this article by asking our writers the following:
If the Tigers make Tarik Skubal available, would you want the Yankees to make a serious effort (in other words, trading a lot) to get him knowing that decisions would probably preclude the Yankees from acquiring most other roster upgrades this season?
Here are their replies...
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Tim Kabel - I would not afford the Yankees to pursue Tarik Skubal. Yankees better use resources to acquire an upgrade at third base or catcher if such play players are available.
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Ed Botti - No. I'd get a premier closer.
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Paul Semendinger - No. I'd get a premier closer. Yes, yes, and yes! 100%. I would always trade prospects for stars. Skubal is a star. Assuming he is healthy, he is one of the best pitchers in the game. And he's not quite (yet) 30-years-old.
Now, some might say that I'd be giving up too much. I disagree. Imagine this collection of starting pitchers: Tarik Skubal, Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Cam Schlittler. That's four aces. Four unquestioned top of the rotation starters. Following that, the Yankees would still have Carlos Rodon, Will Warren, Ryan Weathers, and a returning Clarke Schmidt.
I would think one or two of that second collection of starters would be able to land whatever trade pieces the Yankees might also need to supplant the roster.
Also, if he's dealt, the odds are he'll face the Yankees in the postseason, at least once, and maybe twice. (Didn't we already experience a great Tigers pitcher going to a team to help defeat the Yankees in the postseason?)
Let's see the Yankees act boldly and get the great pitcher. The rest can be figured out.
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Derek McAdam - I would not take the gamble on Skubal at this point. The Yankees have plenty of options in their starting rotation and still have Max Fried and Clarke Schmidt returning. I would rather see them trade big assets to bring another bat or two into the lineup. I’m not exactly sure who that could be, but their offense worries me more than the pitching. They can at least move some current starters to the bullpen when the time comes.
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Mike Whiteman - I love ace pitchers, and I'd certainly check in if Detroit makes Skubal available, but if the July Yankees look like the June Yankees, I'm keeping my tradeable resources for a deal for the bullpen and maybe a bat.
Skubal would absolutely NOT be my priority
that said, IF Skubal could be had for something like Jones, Hess, and Gil
THAT would make me OK with turning Warren into a trade chip. that would likely mean I have plans for one of ERC or LeGrange or some other internal option to be in the Warren spot next year. i see zero chance we can sign Skubal over the Winter
in that scenario, I take Warren, Lombard, and the one of ERC and LeGrange I dont plan to be in NYY rotation next year, and ANYTHING else I need to trade to Houston for Alvarez
i am fine adding Kent. Cunningham, .... whatever it takes!!
Alvarez IS THE WINNING MOVE.…
This is easy..... simple answer is NO.... no further discussion necessary!
Yankees are keeping Lagrange stretched out, for now. With the excess of starting pitching they now have though, it might be wise to bring him up for a look in the bullpen. Doing this might give the Yankees bullpen a huge lift.
However, given that he has the stuff to be a front of the rotation starter, tampering with his development right now does seem, at the end of the day, very unwise. I'm hoping the Yankees stay the course for now with Lagrange. Cashman can always trade for bullpen help, though he'll likely have to overpay to get it (based on Deadline market trends over the past two seasons).
Weathers slots into a bullpen role for now perhaps. Skubal…
Tigers might make a deal if Dax Kilby were dangled. Or, perhaps Elmer Rodriguez and either Anthony Volpe or a package of lower tier prospects would get it done. Personally I'd make the trade if I were Cashman.
The only things I am willingto trade for in 2026 is bullpen and a RH catcher.
But before any trade, the Yankees must see what they have internally. Want a RH OF besides the switch hitter Jasson Dominguez, or Rosario, Cabarello, or even Shuemann? First move: promote either Jace Avina or Garrett Martin up to AAA today.
Bullpen: There is promise with Yovanny Cruz, and Eric Reyzelman looks better than he did last year since moving back to AAA. Ben Grable has gotten nicked but throws strikes and strikes guys out in AA. And if the Yankees decided to stop forcing Carlos Lagrange to throw off speed pitches, and let him throw his FB like 70% of the time, move…