Trade Rumor - Baseball Wiretap

Tarik Skubal said the stress of his arbitration battle with the Detroit Tigers may have subconsciously influenced his decision to delay addressing elbow discomfort earlier this year. Skubal, a back-to-back Cy Young Award winner entering a contract year, first noticed something wrong in January.

"I knew something was wrong," said Skubal. "I didn't know what was wrong."

Reflecting on the situation, Skubal acknowledged he might have handled things differently in hindsight.

"If I could go back, I probably should have got an MRI in January and hammered it out to where I was done with it in the offseason," said Skubal. "But there were also other factors in play. I was going through arbitration. The decision by the organization to take me to court, I think that probably had some impact subconsciously."

The Tigers had filed to pay Skubal $19 million for the 2026 season, while his agent, Scott Boras, sought $32 million. A three-person arbitration panel ultimately sided with Skubal, awarding him a record salary for a player with fewer than six years of service time.

Skubal addressed the broader scrutiny that has followed him throughout the season, from the arbitration process to his injury recovery and now speculation surrounding the Aug. 3 trade deadline.

"I understand where I'm at in my career," said Skubal. "I understand how public everything that's happened in my career has been. The fans want to engage. There's some clickbait-y headlines that the media has to write. That's the media's job. I get it. Do I agree with all of them? No. But I get it."

Despite the challenges of the past six months, Skubal said he has come to terms with the situation and feels physically recovered.

"It happened," said Skubal. "It is what it is. I feel good. I feel healthy now."

Tigers catcher Jake Rogers described the tradeoffs that come with Skubal's rising profile in the sport.

"When you're put on a pedestal," said Rogers, "there's good and bad that comes with it."

Skubal said he welcomes the added scrutiny and expectations that come with his standing in the game.

"I want to have those expectations on me," said Skubal. "It's a privilege. Not everybody that plays this game gets to wear that burden."

The Detroit Tigers understand the stakes ahead of MLB's Aug. 3 trade deadline as they must keep winning to retain All-Star pitcher Tarik Skubal. Manager A.J. Hinch addressed the pressure surrounding the team's late-July stretch before Monday's game against the Chicago Cubs.

"We've been playing Game 7 since May," said Hinch. "We know what's ahead. We know what the conversation around our team is. Tarik is in the news every single day because someone has a dream trade to make up, yet we have a game to win that night."

Skubal has posted a 2.97 ERA across seven starts since returning from a six-week elbow injury that coincided with a rough stretch for Detroit in May. The Tigers entered Monday 4.5 games back in the American League wild-card race, with six teams currently ahead of them in that chase.

Hinch said the team has embraced the ongoing trade speculation rather than letting it become a distraction.

"We're taking it with open arms, that it's part of our identity," said Hinch. "We've got to block out all the news of what's ahead the next few weeks and get to winning games."

Detroit may actually have a stronger path through the AL Central than the wild card, despite sitting 6.5 games behind the division-leading Chicago White Sox. FanGraphs gave the Tigers a 16 percent chance of winning the division entering Monday, notably higher than their wild-card odds, aided by the fact that Detroit has played the fewest games against divisional opponents so far this season.

"We're not naive that we need to win more games in order for us to maintain our trajectory," said Hinch.

Without a sufficient turnaround, Detroit risks a multiteam pursuit of Skubal that could net the Tigers a top-five prospect from a rival organization, an outcome the front office hopes to avoid. Getting healthier at the right moment could help that effort. Infielder Gleyber Torres was activated from the injured list Monday, and infielder/outfielder Javier Baez is set to begin a rehab assignment with Class-A Lakeland on Tuesday as he works back from an ankle injury.

Hinch indicated Torres would be brought back gradually.

"I'll ease him back in," said Hinch. "He may not play every single day for the next 10 days but a big boost for us."

The New York Mets are considered unlikely to trade away Francisco Lindor at the trade deadline, sources tell The Athletic. While the Mets are open to discussing nearly all of their players, Lindor represents a high bar for any interested team.

Lindor, 32, holds trade veto power as a 10-year veteran who has spent the past five consecutive seasons with the same club. He is owed more than $160 million through 2031, and sources with knowledge of the situation said New York has no particular interest in absorbing money in a potential deal, viewing him as a player who can still help the team win next season.

Lindor declined to comment when The Athletic raised the subject of his no-trade protection in a recent conversation. A person close to him said he has no desire to leave New York and remains comfortable with the organization and city.

The Mets, sitting at 41-57, are fielding calls as sellers in a thin trade market. According to SNY, the team is not expected to engage in trade discussions involving Juan Soto, Nolan McLean, Christian Scott, A.J. Ewing or Carson Benge.

Lindor's situation stands apart given his track record, though he is enduring a difficult individual season. He has committed uncharacteristic defensive lapses and posted below-average defensive metrics despite his reputation for reliability. Offensively, he is batting just .210 with a .654 OPS.

Injuries have limited Lindor to 41 games and 175 plate appearances this season. A hamate bone surgery disrupted his spring training, and a calf injury sidelined him for two months before he returned from the injured list on June 24.

The Detroit Tigers are unlikely to commit to trading ace Tarik Skubal ahead of the deadline given their favorable upcoming schedule. Detroit faces the Los Angeles Angels, Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Royals, Athletics and the Baltimore Orioles, a slate that gives the Tigers little incentive to sell.

Should Detroit reconsider, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves and Tampa Bay Rays all represent teams worth monitoring in a potential Skubal market. The Dodgers don't necessarily need Skubal to remain favorites for a third straight championship, but their deep farm system and financial resources mean they face fewer roadblocks than most rivals in pursuing him.

Detroit has gone 22-14 since the start of June, a stretch equivalent to a 99-win pace. That trend has left rival executives skeptical the Tigers will move Skubal or fellow starter Casey Mize.

"They went in big on this year, making the decision to keep Skubal, and then they signed Framber Valdez," said one official. "They're making up ground on the leaders, and now they might trade [Skubal]? I don't see it, unless they lose a bunch of games [coming out of the All-Star break]."

Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris is regarded around the league as objective in his evaluations, according to peers, and would consider moving Skubal if he believed Detroit could no longer contend for a postseason spot. With Skubal set to reach free agency after this season, the coming weeks could represent the Tigers' last chance to win with the two-time Cy Young Award winner on their roster.

The Houston Astros will trade veteran starter Lance McCullers Jr. to the Milwaukee Brewers. The move aims to reduce payroll and bring clarity to Houston's crowded pitching staff.

Triple-A left-hander Colton Gordon will head to Milwaukee as part of the package, according to a source. Gordon has thrown 95 1/3 major-league innings since debuting last season and carries five years of team control.

McCullers is in the final year of a five-year, $85 million extension he signed before the 2021 season. It remains unclear how much of the remaining salary Milwaukee will absorb. Multiple team sources said Houston has attempted to trade McCullers for much of the past year.

McCullers was previously included in a proposed package sent to the St. Louis Cardinals before the 2025 season in exchange for Nolan Arenado, a deal Arenado ultimately vetoed using his no-trade clause.

McCullers has battled significant injuries since 2021. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2018 and flexor tendon repair in 2023, an operation that sidelined him for the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

McCullers has thrown just 359 2/3 innings since his Tommy John surgery, with more than half of that total coming during the 2021 season, the only year he has made more than 22 starts. He has made eight starts this season with a 6.86 ERA and is currently on the injured list with a rotator cuff impingement.

McCullers made his third minor-league rehab start last week, increasing his pitch count to 77 in that outing.

The Chicago White Sox acquired the No. 34 draft pick and a minor-league pitcher from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday, sending infielder Jacob Gonzalez and left-handed pitcher Brandon Eisert in return. The move comes hours before the White Sox select first overall in Saturday's amateur draft.

Pittsburgh sent a competitive-balance pick to Chicago, the only type of draft selection permitted to change hands under current rules. The White Sox also received Triple-A left-handed reliever Jaden Woods in the deal.

Chicago optioned Gonzalez to Triple-A Charlotte earlier Friday after activating All-Star Munetaka Murakami off the injured list. Eisert carries a 2-1 record with a 5.93 ERA and 32 strikeouts across 27 1/3 innings this season. Woods has posted 51 strikeouts and a 4.84 ERA in 35 1/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A.

MLB ranked Gonzalez as Chicago's No. 22 prospect before the trade. He debuted in the majors May 31 after Murakami went on the injured list with a Grade 2 right hamstring strain, and mostly played first base at the major-league level despite spending most of his minor-league career at shortstop.

Murakami returned to Chicago's lineup Friday, going 1-for-5 with four strikeouts in a 14-1 win over the Athletics. Pirates rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin, who signed a nine-year, $140 million extension in April, is expected to miss eight to 10 weeks with a left ring finger injury.

The No. 34 pick carries a slot value of $2,897,400, pushing Chicago's bonus pool past $20 million to $20,489,500. The White Sox have not revealed their plans for the No. 1 overall selection, with UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky, Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey and Texas high school shortstop Grady Emerson viewed as the top candidates.

Saturday marks Chicago's first time holding the draft's top pick since 1977, when the franchise selected Hall of Famer Harold Baines.

The Minnesota Twins have "no plans" to deal All-Star outfielder Byron Buxton, the team's general manager said on Tuesday, shutting down speculation the veteran could be moved.

"It's not something we're exploring. It's not something we plan to explore," Jeremy Zoll told reporters, according to MLB.com "We continue to have productive discussions with Byron. I think he was very clear on that point last week. But also just from my seat, from the Twins' perspective, that's not something that we plan to explore. Just wanted to hit that head on."

Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal warned that the club must improve its play or risk being broken up at the trade deadline, as the team continues to slide further out of playoff contention.

Skubal, the two-time reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, made the comments to The Detroit News in a story published Thursday. The left-hander is scheduled for free agency after this season and could command a record-setting contract.

"The reality is we need to play better baseball or else, come the deadline, you give the front office an option to reassess where this team is," said Skubal. "And if they don't think what we have is a World Series- or playoff-caliber team, then the whole team is going to look different. That's just the nature of the beast."

The Tigers entered Friday at 30-44, sitting 9½ games behind the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central and 6½ games out of the final wild-card spot. Detroit opens a three-game series against Chicago this weekend, with MLB's trade deadline set for Aug. 3.

Skubal is set to make his second start Friday since undergoing a procedure on May 6 to remove bone fragments from his elbow.

"The future for a lot of people in this room, not just myself, the outlook could look very much different in two months and it all comes to an abrupt end," said Skubal. "We still control our destiny a little bit. We still do.

"We play the team this weekend that's winning our division. It's another big series. You don't want to be playing playoff baseball in June, but it feels like we're playing playoff baseball. We don't have very much room for error, and everyone understands that. Everyone understands there has to be a sense of urgency. There has to be. Not panic. But there has to be a sense of urgency to try to win every game we play."

Detroit's other pending free agents this offseason include Kenley Jansen, Casey Mize, Gleyber Torres and Jack Flaherty.

The San Francisco Giants have begun testing the trade market on several players, signaling they may move toward selling ahead of the deadline, according to people briefed on the discussions.

The Giants have not fully committed to becoming sellers, but they are inching closer to that decision. The trade deadline remains more than seven weeks away, leaving time for the team to push toward contention.

San Francisco currently holds a 29-43 record, the second-worst in the National League ahead of only the Colorado Rockies. Their playoff odds sit at 2.5 percent, according to FanGraphs, with the team trailing by 16 games in the NL West and nine games back in the wild-card race.

Second baseman Luis Arraez and left-hander Robbie Ray, both potential free agents, are viewed as the most likely players to be moved. The Giants have no plans to trade ace right-hander Logan Webb, one source said, and quality offers for veterans Rafael Devers and Willy Adames are considered unlikely given their contracts and recent performance.

Third baseman Matt Chapman is another possible trade candidate, though he holds a full no-trade clause and is in the second year of a six-year, $151 million contract. Chapman, 33, has rebounded from a slow start to lead the team with 3.2 bWAR. Moving him would create payroll flexibility and clear a path for Casey Schmitt at third base.

Arraez, 29, has been the Giants' top performer this season, hitting .319 with a .787 OPS. He ranks second in Outs Above Average among second basemen, behind only the St. Louis Cardinals' JJ Wetherholt. Any acquiring team would owe him the remainder of his $12 million salary.

Ray, 34, projects more as a back-end rotation arm than a postseason starter at this stage. He has averaged just over five innings per start, and his 5.16 expected ERA exceeds his actual 4.42 mark. He is owed the balance of his $25 million salary, limiting his potential trade return.

San Francisco entered the season with a $197.1 million payroll, the 11th highest in MLB and third highest in franchise history, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts. The team hired manager Tony Vitello from the University of Tennessee aiming to produce just its second winning season since 2016, but has fallen well short of that goal so far.

Aroldis Chapman and the Boston Red Sox are on opposite paths this season, making it easy to predict that the veteran Cuban reliever could end the summer wearing another uniform after the Aug. 3 trade deadline.

Among the teams that would greatly improve their postseason chances by acquiring Chapman are the New York Yankees, where he saved 146 games and was a three-time All-Star from 2016 to 2022.

If the Red Sox decide to trade Chapman, it's unlikely they'll send him within their own division, especially to the rival Yankees. But if it were to happen, Chapman knows what would have to happen for him to feel comfortable returning to New York.