Rays Rightfully Seen as Realistic Fit for Tigers Ace

Which pitcher from the Detroit Tigers would the Tampa Bay Rays be a good fit for?

Sep 26, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; The hat and glove of Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero (13) in the dugout during the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Rays have been victims of a tough stretch of baseball of late, and they are hoping to turn things around soon. 

Over the last several weeks, the Rays have not played their best baseball, and it has resulted in them falling out of first place in the American League East, and they no longer have the best record in the league overall. 

Despite these struggles, the team is still one of the best in the league and should be a playoff contender. While the team has performed very well, there are a couple of areas of need for the group. 

While the starting rotation has been excellent overall, this is a unit that has become a bit top-heavy, and they have seemingly two spots that need to be addressed now. Starting pitching is a major reason for their success so far, and making sure this unit can compete with the New York Yankees is going to be important. 

Jeff Passan of ESPN recently wrote about the high likelihood of Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal being traded. Furthermore, he highlighted the Rays as not only a realistic fit, but a great one also. 

Skubal Would Be a Massive Addition

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Due to the struggles of the Tigers and Skubal being an impending free agent, the high probability of the team dealing him this summer makes sense. Barring a big turnaround, Detroit has to be thinking about the future, and they simply can’t let Skubal leave in free agency without getting anything in return. 

The star southpaw recently returned to the mound following an injury, and in his most recent start against the Chicago White Sox, he looked like he was knocking the rust off with eight strikeouts. 

If he is made available, pretty much every contender should be pursuing him. This will help raise the price a bit for a rental player, but Tampa Bay would be in a good spot to make a strong offer. 

This winter, the team did a really nice job of restocking their farm system, and the team will have no shortage of players to move this summer if they are buyers at the deadline. Getting a player of the caliber of Skubal at the trade deadline would be a move that could alter the outcome of the American League. Pairing him with the other talented starters in the rotation would make the Rays a real threat in a potential playoff series.