Report Sheds Light on Tigers’ Daunting Trade Demands for Tarik Skubal
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Some of the Detroit Tigers' trade demands for Tarik Skubal were revealed by MLB Writer Jon Heyman before his start on Friday night, and they're nothing short of steep. The two-time reigning AL CY Young winner and unequivocal best pitcher in baseball over the last two seasons has finally returned healthy from the injured list, and his trade deadline price is sky high.
Skubal allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits and struck out four over 4.2 innings of work and 80 pitches on June 13 in his first start back from injury. The Tigers brass would love nothing more than to keep him around, but with his expiring contract and the team an astonishing 14 games under .500, there's no reason to force it.
Detroit must capitalize on his value now, as they've appeared to waive the white flag on any sort of extension.
Heyman reported for The NY Post (subscription required) that the New York Yankees were going to inquire about a trade for the flame-throwing lefty, but a trade likely won't come together. He mentioned that the Tigers are interested in multiple Yankees prospects, including shortstop and the team's No. 1 prospect (No. 18 overall), George Lombard Jr., and reliever Carlos Lagrange, who is their No. 4 prospect (No. 72 overall).
It would make sense for the Tigers to want starting depth in return for Skubal, who will likely require multiple assets for Detroit to pull the trigger. These two noteworthy names combined would be a haul for the Tigers, but probably not something New York would want to give up for a rental.
The only real scenario I think this happens is if Skubal is retained with the Yankees long-term, which New York probably has the salary for.
Tigers' Fans May Need to Prepare Goodbyes for Skubal
Lombard Jr. has played well over 62 games this season, but has struggled at Triple-A. After tearing up Double-A through the first three weeks of the season, he was promoted to the Scranton Wilkes/Barre Railraiders and hasn't had the same production.
He's hit just .231 with a .766 OPS, four homers, and eight stolen bases. The good news is that he just turned 21 years old, and struggled last season in Double-A as well. He owned a .215 batting average through 108 games, but turned a new leaf this season. The shortstop has immense offensive potential, but with where the Yankees' shortstop situation lies today, it's hard to believe they'd give him up, but Detroit would certainly want him.
With how well McGonigle has played, it would be hard to believe he'd stick at short with the Tigers, but the youngster has spent over 260+ innings at both second base and third base throughout his career.
Lagrange, on the other hand, is more of a volatile and disposable asset for the Yankees. He has a 70-grade fastball but just 45-grade control, which has come back to bite him throughout his career.
He's walked 30 batters through 60.1 innings this season and has recently been pitching in a long relief role. He started his first 11 games of the season before being moved to the pen in June with some mixed results. Overall, he owns a 4.03 ERA and a .211 batting average against this season.
He has a high ceiling, and could be a risky return for the Tigers, but he has plenty of potential.
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Jeffrey is a sports writer located in Louisville, Kentucky, with a passion for sports, writing, and storytelling. He has hundreds of published articles across various platforms, including Kentucky Today, The Baptist Courier, FanSided, and more. Jeffrey is a senior at Indiana University Southeast pursuing a B.S. in Journalism/Media with a Minor in Writing. He has a beautiful wife, dog, and firstborn child on the way.