Philadelphia Phillies: 3 Detroit Tigers to target at the deadline

Philadelphia Phillies target No. 1: LHP Tarik Skubal

It is clear as crystal. The Philadelphia Phillies’ greatest need at the trade deadline is the need to improve their starting rotation. While many expected the Tigers to once again have their annual fire sale, Tarik Skubal was not expected to be on the list of available players. After all, it’s not often that talented 25-year-old starters become available, especially when they come with four more years of team control.

The Tigers absolutely do not have to trade away Skubal, meaning that the asking price could prove to be relatively high; however, Dave Dombrowski and the Phillies should still be interested in getting a deal done. While Dombrowski recently spoke and expressed that the team will not likely be targeting the top-end players on the trade block, Tarik Skubal should be an exception.

It’s one thing to not want to move a top prospect for a rental or for an aging player, but Skubal is a rising player who is just starting to scratch the surface of his potential. This season, Skubal has posted an ERA of 3.88 to go along with 111 strikeouts in 106.2 innings of work. He’s slight command issues this season, but that’s not uncommon among young pitchers.

Tarik Skubal would be by far the most expensive option, but he’s also clearly the best. Expect the Phillies to hold discussions with the Tigers around multiple players, even if those talks don’t pan out.