MLB insiders have expressed mixed opinions on whether or not the Detroit Tigers will trade two-time American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal this offseason. The ace will be a free agent ahead of the 2027 season, and there is room for debate about whether the Tigers should trade him for a return now or run it back for one more trip to October.
The Boston Red Sox rank among the teams that have the resources available to trade for Skubal, if he were to hit the market. He would certainly fit the Red Sox's offseason needs, as they seek a second elite pitcher to complement Garrett Crochet atop their rotation. It wouldn't be an easy trade, though, surely requiring multiple top prospects, and maybe even some big league talent to entice Detroit into an exchange.
MLB insider Jim Bowden of The Athletic drafted up potential trade packages for teams that could be in a Skubal race, and Boston's would simply be too good to pass up. Bowden proposed a four-player package of (No. 6) Connelly Early, (No. 3) Jhostynxon Garcia, Kristian Campbell and Christian Foutch.
Early would immediately take up the vacancy in the rotation left by Skubal. Garcia would be a great complement to Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter and Javier Báez in the outfield, and Campbell could join them, play the infield or take up a utility role. The 23-year-old had an underwhelming first season after his great first two months in the major leagues, but his ceiling is still high after he won Minor League Player of the Year in 2024.
MLB insider Jim Bowden proposes Red Sox, Tarik Skubal trade package Boston would make in an instant
Boston selected Foutch, a righty pitcher, in the fifth round of the 2025 MLB Draft. He hasn't played professional baseball yet, but he posted three seasons with the Arkansas Razorbacks. He clocked a 4.09 ERA with 31 strikeouts and 10 walks over 22 innings last season. He sits around 98 miles per hour, but can touch triple digits with his fastball, although his command still needs improvement.
This might seem like a crazy price to pay in a trade for one year of Skubal, but elite players — especially the best pitcher in the AL two years running — come at an extreme price. The Red Sox have multiple top pitching prospects behind Early who could slot into the rotation as soon as the 2026 season, and Campbell and Garcia contribute to the outfield logjam the Sox will need to trade from this winter.
If Boston was to pull off this trade for Skubal, it would be risky, but the risk could be mitigated by signing him to a long-term deal before he hits free agency. Given that Skubal is represented by agent Scott Boras, this is an unlikely outcome of a potential trade, but the Red Sox are better equipped (financially and otherwise) to keep the ace in town on a multi-year deal.
If the Red Sox could get the Tigers to accept a package of Early, Campbell, Garcia and Foutch for Skubal, they should take that deal without a second thought. Detroit could easily demand more, including a package built around Marcelo Mayer or top prospect Franklin Arias, for example. But if Bowden is correct that his deal will get the job done, the Red Sox could seriously pursue a trade for Skubal this winter to give themselves the strongest No. 1 and 2 starters in the league.