The latest Tarik Skubal news and rumors

MLB.com is keeping track of the latest news and rumors surrounding Tarik Skubal prior to the Trade Deadline on Aug. 3.

July 15: Skubal market coming into focus
If the Tigers make Skubal available, the Cubs, Braves and Rays are expected to be among the strongest suitors for the pending free agent and two-time Cy Young winner, according to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman in an article for the New York Post.

Tampa Bay was also linked to Skubal several days ago, with USA Today reporting that the club planned to be “aggressive buyers” this year.

The Dodgers, meanwhile, are a wild card in the Skubal sweepstakes. Per Heyman, the indication coming from the organization to this point is that they are unlikely to surrender premium prospects for a rental, even one the caliber of Skubal. However, Heyman wrote Sunday that some rival teams suspect the Dodgers have been underselling their interest in Skubal.

It remains unclear if the Tigers will trade Skubal, considering they’ve posted the AL’s best record (22-14) since June 1 and have pulled to within 3 1/2 games of a playoff spot. But many rival executives think the Tigers should still move him despite their recent hot streak.

“They have to trade him,” one executive told Heyman. “They’re not going to win the World Series. Teams would be lining up for him. What are they going to do, let him walk out the door?”

July 13: Are Dodgers lurking in Skubal market?
Given their strong farm system and win-now mindset, the Dodgers have long seemed like a natural trade fit for Skubal.

According to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman, however, Los Angeles has been indicating that it is only mildly interested in the two-time Cy Young winner, with starters Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow working their way back from the IL.

Other teams aren’t so sure. Writing for the New York Post (subscription required), Heyman notes that a number of rival clubs suspect the Dodgers are underselling their interest in Skubal.