Proposed Tigers blockbuster trade sees Detroit deal Tarik Skubal, find long-term replacement in 2025 World Series champion rookie ace

The Detroit Tigers have one of the nastier 1-2 punches in baseball right now with two-time Cy Young Tarik Skubal and two-time All-Star Framber Valdez, but in a few short years, they won’t have either of them. They might need to look for a long-term replacement now that can live up to those two, and possibly use Skubal as a trade chip.

Fansided’s Christopher Kline proposes that the Tigers make a deal with the devil, and make a blockbuster trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers, sending Skubal for rookie ace Roki Sasaki.

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"Tarik Skubal's expiring contract is a complicating factor, but he's good enough for L.A. to consider offering up Sasaki even for one season. If it reaches that point, the Detroit Tigers would be irresponsible not to listen. For as dominant as Skubal is, the Framber Valdez signing gives the top of Detroit's rotation a bit more stability. Compare the value of one season with Skubal to a five-year window with Sasaki, plus whatever else L.A. tosses into a deal, and it could be too tempting for Detroit to pass up,” Kline wrote.

This past season, Sasaki posted a 1-1 record, a 4.46 ERA, 28 Ks, and a WHIP of 1.431 over 36 innings pitched, so he still retains his rookie status. However, in the playoffs, he showed his ceiling when he came in as a reliever, posting an 0.84 ERA, six Ks, a WHIP of 1.031, and three saves in nine games. 

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He comes with multiple years of control, and the best part, he’s not being thrown to the wolves with the Tigers. He gets to have at least two years of being mentored by Framber Valdez, a two-time All-Star and World Series champion himself. 

While this trade would hurt fans immensely, in the long run, it could be the correct choice. Hopefully, the Tigers consider this soon, as Spring Training is almost here.

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