This offseason, the Philadelphia Phillies have suffered two major setbacks: they lost out on Bo Bichette when he signed with their division rival, the New York Mets, and they lost an ace in Ranger Suarez to the Boston Red Sox. Additionally, their core is becoming older, which reduces their chances of winning everything every season.
They require a quick, big move. Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report suggests that they trade for the Detroit Tigers’ two-time Cy Young, Tarik Skubal.
The trade would look like this:
Phillies get: LHP Tarik Skubal
Tigers get: 3B Alec Bohm, RHP Andrew Painter (MLB No. 28), RHP Gage Wood
“The Phillies should want to give it their best for Skubal’s one-year contract. They should make the most of their aging core because their prospects of winning the World Series are dwindling. Are we certain that the Phillies have a reliable rotation? Jesús Luzardo is erratic, Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola have durability issues, and Cristopher Sánchez is a true top-of-the-rotation starter. Naturally, Ranger Suárez is no longer with us,” Rymer noted.
In 195 innings pitched this season, Skubal recorded a 13-6 record, a 2.21 ERA, 241 Ks, and a WHIP of 0.891 while winning his second Cy Young. He would become the rotation’s ace right away, and the Phillies would have a fantastic 1-2-3 punch with Skubal, Wheeler, and Cristopher Sánchez when Zack Wheeler returns.
As Rymer points out, the only issue with this trade is that the Tigers might not want to make it. Bohm is a respectable third baseman, but his potential is limited. Furthermore, the headliner of this transaction, Painter, is recovering from Tommy John surgery, so Detroit may not have the same level of faith that he will be the best prospect.
But Philly needs to make this trade work if they can. They must find a quick means to win because their championship window is closing.
