Tigers get updated potential trade return for Tarik Skubal amid Braves rumor

Tigers get updated potential trade return for Tarik Skubal amid Braves rumor originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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There might not be a player more intriguing than Tarik Skubal at this year’s MLB trade deadline. There is plenty of buzz and rumors floating around about the Detroit Tigers ace already this summer.

But, there’s still a big question of whether the Tigers will trade the back-to-back Cy Young winner this season. If they do trade him, what could they get in return?

USA Today’s Bob Nightengale shared a possible trade return for the Tigers from a team like the Atlanta Braves, who were deemed a “sleeper” for Skubal, according to predictions from several MLB executives. 

Tigers receive intriguing potential trade return for Tarik Skubal

“The sleeper in the Tarik Skubal sweepstakes, several executives predict, will be Atlanta,” Nightegnale writes. “The cost could be two of their top-10 prospects, including one who’s in the top 100 overall.”

The Tigers are bound to get something good in return for Skubal if he’s traded, and this potential trade return wouldn’t be a terrible one for the Tigers.

According to MLB Pipeline, the Tigers would be getting two of the following prospects from the Braves in this trade idea: Cam Caminiti, JR Ritchie, Eric Hartman, Tate Southisene, Alex Lodise, Owen Murphy, Briggs McKenzie, Diego Tornes, Lucas Braun, and John Gil.

But, since the Braves would be projected to send a top-100 prospect in this deal, they would have to trade one of Caminiti, who’s ranked 45 by MLB Pipeline, or Ritche at 57 overall.

MORE: Tarik Skubal being traded by Tigers would help him in free agency

Caminiti is a 19-year-old left-handed pitching prospect who has a 3.71 ERA in 30 games (29 starts) and 126 innings in his minor league career. Ritchie is a 22-year-old right-hander who’s already made his MLB debut this year and has a 4.54 ERA in 35.2 innings.

This projected return for the Tigers in a Skubal deal wouldn’t be terrible, as landing a top-100 prospect, like Caminiti or Ritchie from the Braves, along with another top-10 team prospect, would be a much-better return than the Tigers would get from a compensatory pick after losing him in free agency.

Of course, a trade won’t happen unless the Tigers fall well out of the postseason race in the coming month and a half. But, if they do, this potential return wouldn’t be a terrible one for the Tigers.

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