Red Sox ‘well-positioned’ to target Tigers ace Tarik Skubal

The Crimson Sox already boast one American League Cy Younger Award finalist on their roster in Garrett Crochet. 

However might Boston have each Crochet and the possible 2026 Cy Younger frontrunner in Detroit’s Tarik Skubal of their rotation subsequent season?

ESPN’s Buster Olney believes that the Crimson Sox have the assets in place to make a reputable run on the reigning Cy Younger Award winner this winter if Detroit dangles him out on the commerce market. 

Though Skubal — who could possibly be the primary back-to-back AL Cy Younger Award winner since Pedro Martinez (1999-2000) — has been a key cog on a playoff-bound Detroit group the final two seasons, the Tigers is perhaps hesitant to retain him as an eventual free agent who is ready to command an enormous new contract after the 2026 season.

“Different groups imagine the Tigers will severely contemplate shifting him if they’ll glean what they need in a commerce — and there’s each cause to anticipate a big bidding struggle for Skubal, who will probably be eligible free of charge company after subsequent season,” Olney wrote. 

“The Mariners are anticipated to be among the many groups that go after Skubal, to convey him again to town the place he attended school,” Olney added. “The Mets, after all, have an acute want for an ace to guide their rotation — a necessity borne out by means of their late-season collapse — they usually have the form of major-league-ready younger expertise that the Tigers will need, like Jonah Tong. The Crimson Sox are well-positioned to make a run at Skubal, if they need.”

Skubal, 28, has arguably been the very best pitcher within the American League over the previous few seasons. After successful the 2024 AL Cy Younger Award, he adopted that up main the AL in each ERA (2.21) and WHIP (0.891) this summer time — hanging out 241 batters and strolling simply 33 over 195.1 innings of labor.

A Crimson Sox rotation anchored by each Skubal and Crochet would give Boston one in every of — if not the very best — rotations in baseball shifting ahead. 

Boston has the property wanted to pry a participant like Skubal away from Detroit, be it MLB regulars like Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, and Ceddanne Rafaela — or youthful property like Marcelo Mayer,  Kristian Campbell, Payton Tolle, Connelly Early and different commerce chips within the farm system.

The Crimson Sox even have the fiscal flexibility to additionally retain Skubal long-term with a large contract if they’re able to commerce for him. 

The writing is on the wall that the Crimson Sox will probably be energetic this offseason looking for one other confirmed starter to pair with Crochet, with Minnesota’s Joe Ryan standing as another potential trade target. 

 

Conor Ryan is a workers author masking the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Crimson Sox for Boston.com, a task he has held since 2023.