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Tarik Skubal is clearly on the trade block.
The only question is whether the Detroit Tigers' ace lefty will actually get dealt before the deadline, and if so, which team will end up with the superstar.
Skubal is still technically working his way back from injury, so a deal will have to wait a bit, but there's time still, and everything still points in the same direction.
A new article by ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel on Wednesday assesses Skubal's chances of getting traded at 85% as of mid-June.
MORE: PCA finds his way to a historic cycle They then list six teams with a chance to get him: - Dodgers - Yankees - Braves - Brewers - Blue Jays - Rays That shapes up as a fascinating AL East battle -- could you imagine if the Rays beat those big-market teams to Skubal? The only way he sticks with the Tigers at this point is if they get red hot over the next month or so.
With his contract in its final year, they can't afford to lose him for nothing unless they've got a legitimate chance to win the World Series.
"Considering the hole they've dug themselves, they are far more likely than not to move Skubal -- beyond their six-game deficit for the final wild card, they are behind six other teams -- and they will squeeze every ounce of value out of the best pitcher in the world," the ESPN duo writes.
"He is the dream deadline candidate, the sort of ace who can carry a team in the postseason.
Whoever lands Skubal will pay an enormous price.
Happily." The Dodgers have the incredible farm system it could take, but the other teams listed above also have strong prospects.
The Tigers are going to have a lot of offers to pick from if they go through with this.
More MLB news: - White Sox are on an astounding stretch at home - A 'gentlemanly' baserunning move confused the umpires, and everyone else - Pirates' Paul Skenes is in a bizarre stretch - Outfielder retires from baseball to go play college football - Dodgers have a very simple reason to trade for Tarik Skubal.