FOX Sports predicts Rays will land Skubal at MLB deadline

The Aug. 3 cutoff leaves five days for a deal.

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated Jul 291 min read

What happened: Deesha Thosar projects the Rays as the landing spot for Tarik Skubal before the Aug. 3 trade deadline. Her forecast also sends Luis Arraez to the Yankees and Kevin Gausman to the Braves.

Why it matters: Detroit's fringe wild-card position complicates any decision to trade its ace, while an acquiring club would get a short-term rental ahead of his free agency. Tampa Bay's deep farm system could support the prospect cost without ending its postseason push.

By the numbers: Skubal owns a 2.70 ERA after striking out 12 innings in his latest start. Tampa Bay leads the AL at 62-43, while Detroit sits four games behind the final AL wild-card berth with five teams ahead.

What to watch: Competing interest from Los Angeles, Milwaukee and other contenders will test Tampa Bay's willingness to meet Detroit's price.

Sources

FOX Sports 2026-07-29T04:11:40.537137+00:00

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FOX Sports predicts Rays will land Skubal at MLB deadline

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