Some ideas feel too bold to take seriously until you look at the roster, look at the market, and realize they might be the only realistic way to change everything overnight. That’s where the Yankees find themselves with Tarik Skubal.
You don’t often talk about one of the best left-handed starters in modern baseball as a trade candidate, but the Detroit Tigers are listening. And the Yankees, who need another frontline arm, suddenly look like one of the few teams with the prospect capital to make a deal even remotely possible.
The pitcher who changes an entire franchise
Skubal isn’t just good. He’s elite in a way that warps the shape of a rotation. Last season, the 29-year-old carved through the league with a 2.21 ERA over 195.1 innings, showing command, swing-and-miss stuff, and the kind of competitive poise that holds up against any lineup in baseball. His playoff track record only strengthens the case: 2.04 ERA, 12.71 strikeouts per nine, and a presence that doesn’t flinch when everything tightens.
Players like this don’t hit the market. They’re pried free.
And that’s why a package has to hurt.
Jim Bowden’s proposed deal, and why it’s not crazy
Jim Bowden of The Athletic put together a Yankees–Tigers mock deal that raises eyebrows but also makes sense for both sides. It’s centered around a four-player return to Detroit:
• Spencer Jones — The Yankees’ top outfield prospect and one of the best power-speed blends in the minors.
• Will Warren — A steady, dependable arm coming off 162.1 innings with a 4.44 ERA.
• Carlos Lagrange — A triple-digit righty with huge strikeout numbers and equally huge upside.
• Bryce Cunningham — A polished High-A arm with a 2.82 ERA and developing velocity.
It’s a heavy offer. It might even be light. But it fits the profile: a mix of floor, ceiling, and controllability.
Jones is the headliner. After slashing .274/.362/.571 with 35 home runs and 29 steals, he’s already knocking at the big-league door. Detroit could plug him into the outfield by June and build around him for the next six years.
Warren gives them a ready-made rotation piece. Lagrange and Cunningham give them two developmental shots that could pop in a big way. It’s the kind of blend rebuilding teams crave.
Bowden framed the Yankee angle perfectly, writing: “The Yankees enter the 2026 season with two of their top starters — Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón — still working their way back from injuries. Their rotation is a strength but adding Skubal would keep the rotation elite while Cole and Rodón are out and would give them a year to make a case to Skubal as to why he should re-sign with them. Their similar gamble with Soto didn’t pay off with an extension, but it did result in a World Series trip, which isn’t a bad consolation.”
He’s right. This is the same logic the Yankees used with Soto: swing big, worry about the extension later, and trust that winning helps sell the long-term vision.
The real question: Will Hal push the button?
The Yankees have the money. That’s never been the issue. The question is whether Hal Steinbrenner believes this is the move that justifies crossing the threshold.
If you add Skubal to a rotation that still includes Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, and eventually a healthy Cole and Rodón, you’re talking about a group that could suffocate teams in October. You’re talking about length, variety, velocity, and the kind of advantage only a few clubs ever get to claim.
You’re talking about a real path back to the World Series.
How far should the Yankees go?
That’s the tension. The prospect cost is steep, but windows don’t stay open forever. Aaron Judge’s prime won’t last forever. Fried is here now. The bullpen is being rebuilt on the fly. And the AL is packed with clubs willing to punch back.
Skubal changes the equation. He elevates the ceiling and widens the margin for error.
If the Yankees believe they’re one superstar arm away, this might be the moment to prove it.