The New York Yankees are doing something unusual this June: winning without their best player. Aaron Judge is sidelined with a ribcage issue, expected to miss several weeks, yet the team sits at 43-27 heading into a series against the Chicago White Sox. The offense hasn’t missed a beat. But the front office knows that staying afloat isn’t the same as being championship-ready.
That’s where Tarik Skubal enters the conversation.
The Detroit Tigers left-hander is arguably the most coveted trade asset on the board right now, and according to ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan, the Yankees are very much in the mix. Speaking on the Rich Eisen Show, Passan laid out just how aggressively New York is considering a move — even with a rotation that already includes Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, Clarke Schmidt, and promising arms like Will Warren and Cam Schlittler.
“Of course the Dodgers would love to add him to a rotation… but even the Yankees would love to have Tarik Skubal. They could have Cam Schlittler, and Max Fried, and Gerrit Cole, and Carlos Rodon, and Will Warren, and Clarke Schmidt, and they would still pay a hefty sum to go out and get Tarik Skubal, because he’s the kind of guy who wins you World Series,” Passan said.
The message is clear: depth is nice, but dominance is the goal.
Why Skubal Is Worth the Price
Skubal is having a career year in Detroit, posting elite strikeout numbers and a sub-2.50 ERA. At 28 years old, he’s both a win-now piece and a long-term building block. For a Yankees team that hasn’t won a World Series since 2009, adding an ace of his caliber would be a statement — one that says they’re not just competing, they’re trying to end a drought that has grown into a narrative of its own.
The timing works in their favor, too. The American League has been noticeably weaker than expected this season. The Yankees currently own the best record in the league. A rotation anchored by Skubal alongside Cole and Fried would make them the clear favorites in October — and that’s before considering an offense that’s managed to produce without Judge.
The Dodgers Loom Large
But the Yankees aren’t the only suitor with deep pockets and a World Series appetite. The reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers are also reportedly interested, and they have the prospect capital to make a serious run. Los Angeles has already shown they’re willing to spend big on pitching, and adding Skubal to a rotation that already features Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Tyler Glasnow would be borderline unfair.
This sets up a potential bidding war between two of baseball’s wealthiest and most aggressive franchises. The Tigers, meanwhile, are in a perfect position to wait for the best offer — and drive up the price.
No official talks have been confirmed, and the trade deadline is still weeks away. But the chatter is building. If the Yankees want to make a move that reshapes the entire playoff picture, this is the one. And if they hesitate, the Dodgers won’t.
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