Phillies predicted to land Cy Young winner, forming nasty quartet, replacing Ranger Suarez

Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers might be the most intriguing name of the offseason — and he’s still a year away from free agency. However, things in Detroit are beginning to get rocky, as there’s growing doubt the team will pay him what he’s seeking.

“Two things I believe to be true. 1. Scott Boras and Tarik Skubal want to hit free agency a year from now. No extension this offseason. 2. The Tigers are not going all in to win with Skubal in 2026,” 97.1 The Ticket’s Jim Costa posted.

Skubal is reportedly seeking a historic contract that would make him the highest-paid starting pitcher in MLB history.

“Skubal is hoping for a new deal worth $400 million, according to Heyman, which would be the highest total contract value for a full-time starting pitcher,” Bleacher Report’s Andrew Peters wrote.

While the Tigers have one of the best arms in baseball, they don’t appear willing to pay the price to keep him. In fact, there is currently a massive gap between the two sides.

“The Tigers and superstar pitcher Tarik Skubal have a lot of work to do if they’re going to bridge quite possibly the biggest gap in MLB negotiating history: an estimated quarter of a billion dollars. Yep, that’s not a misprint. It’s close to $250 million,” New York Post’s Jon Heyman wrote.

Because of that rift, the Tigers could explore trading Skubal — with the Philadelphia Phillies emerging as a potential destination.

“This is a long shot, but as Tigers fans know, Dave Dombrowski loves to make huge deals. Acquiring Skubal to join a rotation with Cristopher Sánchez and Zack Wheeler would give the Phillies a rotation that could rival their vaunted 2011 quartet of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt, particularly if Aaron Nola bounces back next season,” Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly wrote.

Such a move would make the Phillies the Los Angeles Dodgers’ biggest threat in the National League and could set the franchise up for years to come. Philadelphia fans would be ecstatic if this deal materializes — and Skubal in a Phillies uniform could be the move that puts them over the top.

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