Tarik Skubal Lands With The Yankees And Becomes A Fantasy Baseball League Winner In This MLB Mock Trade

We have reached June, and the MLB standings are starting to take shape. Now that everyone has played in about 60 games, teams have to take a look at both their seasons and their rosters and decide whether they will be sellers between now and the August 3 trade deadline. There are sure to be plenty of big trades made that will have a huge impact on fantasy baseball.

One team that looks sure to be a seller before the deadline is the Detroit Tigers. Currently, they are sitting with the worst record in the league at 23-38 and are 11 games out of first place in the AL Central.

They have starting pitcher Tarik Skubal, who is sure to be one of the hottest players on the market as long as he can get healthy. He is set to miss his 30th consecutive game tonight dating back to a loss to the Atlanta Braves on April 29, but could be on the mend. The Tigers got some good news this week, and Skubal could begin a rehab assignment as soon as this weekend.

If he comes back and looks like himself, the Tigers could try to trade him as soon as possible to avoid losing him to injury and having him walk away for nothing in free agency after the season. One team that could look to scoop him up off the market is the New York Yankees.

New York Yankees - Detroit Tigers Mock Trade

New York Yankees Receive

LHP - Tarik Skubal

Detroit Tigers Receive

RHP - Ben Hess (Prospect)

OF - Spencer Jones (Prospect)

Fantasy Impact

Skubal has started six games this season and has been very good, even if not pitching at a Cy Young caliber level. In 37.1 innings, he has struck out 45 batters and has a 2.70 ERA. However, that has only equated to a 3-2 win-loss record for the star pitcher. While this injury has derailed him a bit, he should come back and be an excellent pitcher.

We'd expect Skubal to immediately become revitalized in New York, playing not only for a new contract, but a potential World Series Championship. There is a real chance that on a last-place team, he just shuts it down to avoid any further injury. He should also see his win total rise significantly with the Yankees, and we don't expect the move from Comerica Park to Yankee Stadium to have any significant impact on his fantasy value.

For the two prospects in this trade heading to Detroit, Hess and Jones could both see a quicker path to a major league roster in a more talent-needy organization like the Tigers, rather than an organization with World Series aspirations like the Yankees.

Why The Trade Makes Sense For The New York Yankees

The Yankees have massive expectations on a yearly basis and are always in win-now mode, but they haven't won a World Series since 2009. Times are becoming more desperate, and the addition of Skubal would give them a pitching rotation that offense would want to see in the playoffs. Having to go up against Skubal, Max Fried, Garrett Cole, and Cam Schlittler could be devastating.

Why The Trade Makes Sense For The Detroit Tigers

The season is lost, and Skubal's contract expires at the end of the year. It has become clear that they aren't planning to give him a massive long-term extension, so all that's left to do is trade him before the deadline and recoup as many assets as possible to build around in the future. Hess and Jones are two high-end prospects in the Yankees' farm system who could help the Tigers win games as soon as next season.

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