Cubs urged to pay whatever price it takes to acquire Tarik Skubal

There are a lot of teams around Major League Baseball that could use starting pitching help, the Chicago Cubs being one of the more obvious such teams.

With Matthew Boyd, Edward Cabrera, Justin Steele, and Cade Horton injured, the Cubs rotation is in dire need of high-end pitching talent. So, why not go for the top arm in Tatrik Skubal? If there were any hold-up, it would be the lofty price tag on a trade.

However, ESPN's Jeff Passan is urging the Cubs to acquire Skubal for whatever price the Detroit Tigers ask for. It would be a bold move, but for the Cubs, with a struggling rotation, Skubal is just what they need to become a legitimate World Series contender.

Cubs urged to trade whatever it takes for Tarik Skubal

"The Cubs need an ace," Passan writes. "... So yeah, if Skubal costs Matt Shaw, it's the price to pay. If Detroit would prefer Moises Ballesteros, so be it. If the Tigers want both, it shouldn't be dismissed outright."

Trading both Shaw and Ballesteros for a two-plus-month rental of Skubal would be a massive price to pay, even though he'd be a massive help for the Cubs rotation.

But, considering how good this team is right now, spending so much on Skubal would actually be worth it. The Cubs might simply be just one ace away from being a World Series contender.

A rotation with Skubal in it for the Cubs would actually be able to go head-to-head against any team in the postseason. But, without Skubal, there are massive question marks about the starters in Chicago.

MORE: Cubs’ cost to trade for Tarik Skubal from Tigers revealed by ex-MLB GM

The Cubs' shaky rotation does make Skubal a very good fit in a potential trade, but Passan urging the Cubs to spend whatever it takes to get him could be a bit too risky.

Sure, Skubal would be a massive upgrade for the rotation and give the Cubs the kind of pitcher they've been sorely missing in recent years.

But if they give up too much, the Cubs might be putting all of their eggs into one basket. If they spend so much on Skubal and fail to win the World Series, things could look disastrous in the very near future.

Still, with how badly the Cubs need someone like Skubal, maybe taking such a huge risk isn't the worst idea. He might be the difference between a World Series title and an early playoff exit for the Cubs, as an ace of his caliber is just what the Cubs are lacking.

More MLB news:

• 5 reasons to believe in Jordan Walker's breakout for Cardinals
• Ex-MLB GM projects White Sox to sell at trade deadline despite 2026 success
• Tarik Skubal being traded by Tigers would help him in free agency
• Yankees’ Ryan McMahon problem has a $25 million release solution
• Phillies extending Cristopher Sanchez to his $107 million deal was genius