Yankees in Pole Position for Tarik Skubal Trade: Passan Highlights Pitching Depth as Key to Landing Back-to-Back Cy Young Ace.vc
(NEW YORK) — The New York Yankees are poised to make the biggest splash of the offseason. According to ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan, the Yankees are one of a select few teams that possess the necessary firepower to acquire two-time reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers.3
The high-stakes trade speculation is fueled by the fact that Skubal is heading into his final year of arbitration control (free agency after 2026) and the Tigers have made little progress on a long-term extension.4
Yankees’ Secret Weapon: Pitching Depth
While the Tigers would demand a monumental haul of prospects for the best pitcher in the game, Passan notes that the Yankees are uniquely positioned to meet that demand because they have exactly what Detroit needs: upper-level pitching depth.
The Tigers, despite trading Skubal, would still aim to contend in the short term. They need pitchers who are nearly MLB-ready, and the Yankees’ farm system is loaded with the type of arms the Tigers are targeting:
- Potential Trade Assets (Pitchers): Names frequently mentioned in trade scenarios include Will Warren, Clarke Schmidt, Luis Gil, Carlos Lagrange, and Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz.5
- The Price Tag: To land Skubal, the Yankees would likely have to part with a package centered around 3–4 high-level prospects, likely including at least one of their top-tier position players like Spencer Jones or Jasson Domínguez to sweeten the deal.
The Ultimate 1-2 Punch
For the Yankees, the move is a no-brainer despite the steep cost. The team finished the 2025 season with a disappointing exit and is facing injury uncertainty for 2026. The combination of a fully healthy Gerrit Cole and Tarik Skubal would instantly create the most feared 1-2 rotation punch in the American League.
Skubal’s dominance speaks for itself: in 2025, he led the AL with a 6$2.21 \text{ ERA}$, 7$0.89 \text{ WHIP}$, and recorded 8$241 \text{ strikeouts}$.9 Adding a durable, left-handed ace like Skubal would solve the Yankees’ biggest weakness and turn them into immediate World Series favorites.
High Risk, Highest Reward
The biggest caveat? Like the Juan Soto trade before him, acquiring Skubal likely means getting a one-year rental with no guarantee of a long-term extension, given agent Scott Boras’ history.
However, the Yankees front office is under immense pressure. Losing top prospects is a risk, but losing another year without a championship is a greater threat. If the Yankees are willing to “clear out the farm system” as Passan suggests they have the ammunition to do, the arrival of Tarik Skubal would instantly redefine the landscape of Major League Baseball.
