Tigers predicted to make Tarik Skubal trade with NL West team that will 'sting'

TL;DR

The Detroit Tigers may consider trading Tarik Skubal if they fall out of postseason contention. Experts suggest that failing to trade him before he becomes a free agent could be a significant mistake for the team.

Tigers predicted to make Tarik Skubal trade with NL West team that will 'sting' originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

It's far too early for the Detroit Tigers to be considering a Tarik Skubal trade.

The only way the AL Central club will contemplate trading the back-to-back Cy Young Award winner is if they dramatically fall out of the postseason race.

Again, it's mid-April, and the Tigers have as good a chance as any team in the division. Yet, FanSided's Christoper Kline believes it would be "malpractice" for the Tigers not to trade Skubal if they drop far in the standings.

"If the Tigers can't climb the standings expeditiously, keeping Skubal beyond the trade deadline — when he's virtually guaranteed to walk as a free agent next winter — would be malpractice," Kline wrote Tuesday. "As much as it would sting, Detroit cannot get left holding the bag. If the Tigers aren't going to meaningfully contend in the American League, trading Skubal and recouping value is a must. There's no way around it."

A return package for Skubal would include at least two highly regarded prospects and one or two proven Major League players. The Los Angeles Dodgers have the farm system to complete a deal.

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"Los Angeles has a ton of promising bats (Josue De Paula, Zhyir Hope, James Tibbs III) and MLB-ready arms (River Ryan, Emmet Sheehan, Jackson Ferris) to throw at Detroit," Kline added. "The Dodgers' rotation is already quite strong, but "need" is relative for a team with L.A.'s payroll. If the Dodgers can add the best arm in baseball to the best team in baseball, cost certainly won't stop them."

There's no denying the Tigers could strengthen their farm system and add quality players to the Major League roster if they traded Skubal. Needless to say, that's not the outcome the organization or fans should want.