Creating Hypothetical Trade Proposal for Rays to Land Tarik Skubal

Here is a hypothetical trade proposal for the Tampa Bay Rays to get Tarik Skubal.

Apr 29, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) throws against the Atlanta Braves in the second inning at Truist Park. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Rays were able to snap their little four-game skid on Friday night, and the team still has the best record in the American League. Now, with them looking like a real threat, the mindset for the team has to be aggressive. 

While expectations might not have been high for the Rays coming into the year, they certainly are now. This is a team that has been excellent for the majority of the campaign and has been able to handle every challenge thrown their way. 

Now, even though the team might not have thought they would be in this position, they need to make the most of it. Tampa Bay might have the best record in the league, but there are certainly ways for them to get better. Offensively, they rely on their star trio and small ball to manufacture runs. Adding at least one more bat makes a lot of sense. 

Even though the starting rotation has been one of the best in baseball, there will undoubtedly be some concern about Steven Matz and Nick Martinez coming back to earth at some point from their great starts. With that being a possibility, going after some more pitching does make sense. One of the top options who could be available is Detroit Tigers star Tarik Skubal. While he would be a rental, he makes a ton of sense for Tampa Bay. 

Here is a hypothetical trade proposal for the star left-hander. 

Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Rays Receive: Tarik Skubal 

Tigers Receive: Anderson Brito, Nathan Flewelling 

While the Rays might be one of the biggest surprises in baseball in a positive way, Detroit is one of the biggest for the wrong reasons. The Tigers have been a playoff team the last two years, but are well under .500, and with the reigning two-time AL Cy Young being a free agent this offseason, moving him makes sense. 

Due to him just being a rental, the price isn’t going to be too high, but it will take a couple of good prospects to get the deal done. In this deal, it is Anderson Brito and Nathan Flewelling going to the Tigers. Brito is ranked as the sixth-best prospect in the system for the Rays, and Flewelling is ranked third. 

Even though he is injured, it seems like things are progressing well for Skubal to be back soon and make an impact. With Detroit being out of it right now, trading their star left-hander makes a lot of sense. For Tampa Bay, going in and making a big splash on a player they normally wouldn’t be able to land is a no-brainer.