With Tarik Skubal trade rumors starting to percolate, every contender in the league is beginning to salivate, dreaming about what the ace lefty would do for their 2026 World Series aspirations. None, however, may be better positioned to pull off such a blockbuster than the Boston Red Sox.
The experts no longer rank Boston's farm system among the league's upper echelon, but the reason behind that is prospect graduations and not a thinning of depth or quality.
Instead, it is the progression of Boston's top young assets that will have the Tigers' ears perking up, as they look to extract maximum value in exchange for one of the game's true elites.
Let's be clear about Detroit's motivations here. Trading Skubal isn't about blowing up its core and starting over. The Tigers have a young and talented nucleus with more standout youngsters on the verge of breaking through. They're trying to set themselves up for a long-term run of dominance, but are coming to the realization that such a thing will be unattainable while committing record-setting money to a hurler who will turn 30 before such a monumental extension takes effect. Trading Skubal before he hits free agency will secure a substantial return for him instead of allowing him to walk for nothing.
That's where the Red Sox come in. The system is busting at the seams with major league-ready talent that can jump in and fill holes for Detroit right away. Not only that, these are legitimately blue-chip prospects who can grow alongside Detroit's gems like Kevin McGonigle and Max Clark.
Red Sox have the best farm system of all the contenders to land Tigers ace Tarik Skubal
One of Payton Tolle or Connelly Early could be sent back to Detroit. While neither would immediately fill Skubal's shoes, either could easily slot into his rotation spot and provide ace-like upside in short order.
Another of the gaping holes on Detroit's roster is in center field. Though there were high expectations, Parker Meadows has fallen flat as he's struggled with injuries and failed to hit when healthy.
The solution to that problem could be Jhostynxon Garcia. The Password is Boston's No. 3 overall prospect, and could provide the thump Detroit is searching for with 21 homers between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester last season. The 22-year-old is big league ready, and could man center at least until the speedy Max Clark comes up. At that point, he could move to a corner and form a dynamite outfield trio alongside Clark and left-handed slugger Riley Greene, who is just 25 years old.
Or, if the Tigers prefer, perhaps Marcelo Mayer could be a solution to the left side of their infield. Both shortstop and third base were black holes for Detroit, and while he technically exhausted his prospect eligibility, Mayer is a youngster who fits the bill.
His loss would be a bit tougher for Boston if Alex Bregman doesn't re-sign. Garcia would have trouble getting regular reps in Boston's crowded outfield now, but with the situation at the hot corner in flux, moving Mayer would only take a Bregman alternative off the board. Still, that might be a necessary price to pay for Skubal.
These are just some of the names at the top of the prospect rankings who could be of interest to Detroit. There are even more players on the cusp of big league debuts, and many younger talents in the system, meaning that even with giving up what would be required to land Skubal to co-headline the rotation with Garrett Crochet, the farm still would not be barren.
Ultimately, the plethora of big league ready talent plus enviable depth makes the Red Sox better positioned than anyone else to pull off such a massive deal.