4 Deadline questions in wake of Skubal deal

With the news of Tarik Skubal being dealt to the Dodgers for three prospects -- outfielder Zyhir Hope and right-handers River Ryan and Brady Smith -- we asked MLB insiders to break down how this affects the trade market and what could happen before Monday’s 6 p.m. ET Deadline arrives.

The Skubal trade was obviously the Tigers’ biggest task, but not the only one. They are expected to deal more pieces. What’s next?

Jason Beck, Tigers beat reporter: The Skubal trade should open up the rest of the starting pitching market, which includes another Tiger and Skubal’s good friend Casey Mize. The Tigers’ decision to scratch Mize -- also in his final season before free agency -- from his scheduled start Friday against the Athletics was a sign there’s strong interest in Mize despite a velocity drop in his last start that caught evaluators’ attention and a groin issue that has led to two IL stints and contributed to an early exit from another start earlier this month. The Tigers are also expected to engage the market on closer Kenley Jansen and second baseman Gleyber Torres (both free agents at season’s end) and versatile reliever Drew Anderson, who has a $10 million club option for next year without a buyout penalty. They could also shop Kyle Finnegan, but given his recent struggles and remaining contract -- an $8 million salary for 2027, plus a $10 million mutual option or $2.25 million buyout for 2028 -- he could be tough to deal. None will draw the return that Skubal did, but they should help replenish a Tigers farm system that will have graduated several prospects to Detroit by season’s end.

The Brewers, Rays, Braves and Cubs were rumored to be interested in trading for Skubal. How might they pivot?

Mark Feinsand, senior national reporter: There are plenty of starting pitchers out there -- both rentals and controllable arms -- to be had, even with Skubal going to the Dodgers and Freddy Peralta headed to the Rays. Kevin Gausman, Robbie Ray, Clay Holmes, Mize and Foster Griffin are all seemingly available, and now that Skubal and Peralta have helped set the market, sellers of those rental starters should have a better gauge of what to expect in return. As for the controllables, acquiring an arm like Hunter Greene, Reid Detmers or José Soriano will surely cost more, so those teams that missed out on Skubal will have to decide whether the cost for a pitcher signed beyond 2026 is worth it. The guess here is that we see most if not all of the rentals move, but not the controllables.

Adam McCalvy, Brewers beat reporter: The Brewers lead the NL in ERA and are neck-and-neck with the Dodgers for MLB’s best starters’ ERA, but that’s on the strength of a deep pool of young arms yet to be tested in October. That explains why they want to be more aggressive compared to past Trade Deadlines, the belief that adding a frontline arm with NL Cy Young Award frontrunner Jacob Misiorowski would make them very dangerous in the postseason. There’s no one left like Skubal, but the Reds’ Greene is of interest if Cincinnati would deal him in the division. The Brewers are also among the clubs looking at the Angels’ Detmers and Soriano.

Adam Berry, Rays beat reporter: The Rays pivoted quickly to acquire arguably the second-most intriguing rental starter on the market, swinging a deal with the Mets on Sunday that brings in right-hander Peralta for three prospects. There’s more risk involved, as Peralta has had a rough season in New York, but still plenty of upside given his track record in Milwaukee. There’s also less pressure for him to be the ace in a rotation that already includes All-Stars Drew Rasmussen, Nick Martinez, Shane McClanahan (when healthy in a few weeks) and Griffin Jax. There’s also still room to upgrade their roster at second base -- Luis Arraez remains the most obvious fit on the market -- as well as catcher and other areas, including additional bullpen help in front of closer Bryan Baker.

Feinsand: The Cubs were always viewed as a long-shot for Skubal, so his move to the Dodgers didn’t really change much for Chicago. The biggest impact is that the other teams that were in the Skubal race will now pivot to other starters, potentially creating more competition for the Cubs. With Edward Cabrera and Daniel Palencia due back from the injured list this month, reinforcements are on their way, but the Cubs will look to add another starter (or two) and a reliever (or two) as they try to keep a firm grip on the NL’s top Wild Card spot.

The assumption is that once Skubal was traded, the floodgates would open. Should we anticipate things will move quickly, or is it more likely deals will start flying closer to Monday's 6 p.m. ET Deadline?

Feinsand: The Skubal deal has already made Sunday a little more active, and with a full slate of day games leading up to the Red Sox-Dodgers game this evening, many of the bubble teams might wait until their games are over to see exactly where the playoff race stands as they contemplate buying or selling. That said, with the number of players potentially on the block and the tight nature of both leagues’ standings, I would think the majority of the action will come Monday. Deadlines create urgency, so sellers’ prices will likely remain high until Monday, while buyers will try to resist paying those prices -- until they can’t, anymore.

Who are the “next-best” pitchers, after Skubal, who might be of the highest interest? Does the Tigers' return on Skubal have any effect on teams’ asking prices for other trade candidates?

Feinsand: The rentals that seem to be drawing the most interest are Gausman, Holmes, Mize and Griffin, though it’s not a lock that they all move. The Skubal deal won’t directly alter the asking prices for now, as he was on a different level than everybody else. Prices are currently high for practically every trade chip out there, which is normal in the days leading up to the Deadline. As we get closer to 6 p.m. ET Monday -- and as more teams decide to sell, which could happen by Sunday night -- the asks for players (especially rentals) will start to come down. It’s still going to be costly to acquire these pitchers -- as it should be -- but none should cost two Top 100 prospects the way Skubal did.