Blue Jays predicted to trade for $32M 2-time Cy Young winner to save injury-plagued season

The Toronto Blue Jays are going to be a team to watch at the trade deadline, even though they have not performed particularly well this season. The Blue Jays have battled injuries throughout the year, making reinforcements a priority.

Toronto already has some targets in mind, with the most notable being Tarik Skubal. However, the Blue Jays will have to outbid several other championship contenders to land the star left-hander.

“Now that it’s becoming inevitable that the free-falling Detroit Tigers may have no choice but to trade two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal at the deadline, rival executives believe the bidding will come down to four finalists that not only can afford the remainder of his $32 million contract, but will also be willing to give up prized prospects: The Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays and San Diego Padres,” USA Today’s Bob Nightengale wrote.

Toronto needs a spark to turn its season around, and adding another frontline starter would certainly help. CBS Sports’ Mike Axisa believes the Blue Jays are a legitimate landing spot for Skubal.

“The Tigers have crashed so hard and so fast that a Tarik Skubal trade now appears more likely than not. They'll have to turn things around right away (as in, today) and climb back into the postseason race quickly to entertain keeping him,” Axisa wrote. “For Skubal specifically, it's basically every contender. Start with the Blue Jays.”

The difficult part will be prying Skubal away from Detroit, especially with the Tigers still hanging around the playoff race.

“Don't look now, but just when everyone is preparing to watch Tarik Skubal's rehab assignment and start composing trade proposals, the Detroit Tigers have just won 4 consecutive games. They are still just 26-38, but in the weak AL, are somehow just 5 games out of a wild-card berth,” Nightengale posted.

Skubal would be a massive addition for whichever team lands him if the Tigers ultimately decide to trade him. With the Blue Jays eager to get back into World Series contention, they could be one of the most aggressive teams at the deadline.

Toronto has dealt with its share of injury issues this season, and acquiring Skubal could provide a much-needed spark in the clubhouse. More importantly, adding a pitcher of his caliber would give the Blue Jays one of the strongest rotations in baseball.