3 Reasons the Yankees Must Pull the Trigger on a Tarik Skubal Trade

Here's why New York GM Brian Cashman needs to strike a deal for Detroit's ace.

A Tarik Skubal trade doesn't come without risk; however, the Yankees have more than enough reasons to roll the dice on a deal. | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Much like most MLB clubs, the Yankees have some areas of need to fill before the Aug. 3 trade deadline. The bullpen isn't worthy of making it through three to four rounds in the postseason, and obviously, there is the matter of finding a right-handed catcher, which could have been filled this winter.

Even with all of that, Skubal should be at the top of their wish list. The Yankees—along with the Dodgers and Braves—have been named one of the top destinations for the two-time American Cy Young winner's services whenever trade buzz pops up.

Although trading for a pending free agent can be risky, nobody should overthink it. Here are three reasons why the Yankees should ignore the doubters and trade for Skubal soon.

1. Taking Skubal from other contenders

The Yankees' rotation would be a wall if they had a choice of Skubal, Cam Schlittler, Gerrit Cole, and Max Fried to start a series. Not only that, but they would take the two-time All-Star hurler from other World Series hopefuls, such as the Dodgers and Braves.

Trading for Tarik Skubal would not only help the Yankees' World Series outlook but also hurt other potential contenders' odds. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

They're good enough to make it there without Skubal, but imagine having to face him in game one, three, and seven during a series? Taking him out of the equation is about as good as starting him. Anybody who lived through the likes of the Astros getting Justin Verlander and Cliff Lee going to the Rangers should understand this full well.

Skubal is the type of pitcher to tip the scales. It's just a matter of how badly the Yankees want to win a World Series.

2. Potential MLB lockout

The way things are going, there may not be a season next year. At best, it would be a briefer one. According to The Athletic's Sam Blum, 80 of 101 players polled before the 2026 campaign believed a lockout would come into effect in December.

In the worst-case scenario, Aaron Judge will be 36 by the time baseball returns in 2028. Gerrit Cole would be 37, too. That certainly would put a limit on the Yankees' World Series window, giving them every reason to attempt a Skubal trade.

Judge and Cole are still playing at a high level, but that isn't guaranteed from year to year. Father Time is undefeated. Cam Schlittler and Ben Rice did extend the championship window further, but who knows when the next chance for them to be this good will come. Trading for Skubal would help ensure that the Yankees aren't left with a soul-crushing "what if?" by the end of the year.

3. Shifting the Yankees' rotation

The Yankees can absolutely make it to the World Series without Skubal. On paper, this rotation is the best in baseball.

The elephant in the room, though, is Carlos Rodón. While he has been spectacular for the Yankees in the regular season outside of his introduction in 2023, the postseason has been a different story. He isn't dependable. By trading for Skubal, they take him out of the equation.

Rodón has a 7.53 ERA in eight career playoff games. The Dodgers knocked him around in the World Series, in a game the Yankees desperately needed to win. A good start erases the Freddie Freeman grand slam. Then, last year, were it not for Judge tying the game by homering off a 103 mph fastball, Rodón would've been the reason they went home last year.

Carlos Rodón's postseason record could force the Yankees to trade for Tarik Skubal. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

It's hard to say how a starter will do coming out of the bullpen, but Rodón can be an option there. It would be a blow for a guy as competitive as him, but he isn't better than Skubal, Schlittler, Cole, or Fried, who has had his own postseason problems despite a World Series. You would also have a little more depth there with Will Warren and Ryan Weathers.

That shift would make the Yankees' pitching situation even more lethal, highlighting why they should boot Rodón from the rotation in favor of Skubal when the postseason arrives.