This Orioles trade package for Tarik Skubal could blow Dodgers away

The MLB trade deadline is now just two weeks away and trade rumors are flying everywhere. One of the biggest names floating around is Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers.

MLB insider Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated linked both the Orioles and Dodgers to the All-Star pitcher.

The Orioles and Dodgers possess two of baseball's most talented rosters and have two of the best farm systems to draw from, but the O's can make an offer the Tigers can't refuse.

Tigers receive: Jackson Holliday, Enrique Bradfield Jr, Seth Johnson, Jud Fabian, Creed Willems and Jorge Mateo

Orioles receive: Tarik Skubal and Jason Foley

The idea of trading arguably the top overall prospect in baseball will make anyone cringe, but if any team can afford to do it, it's the Orioles. Between Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, Coby Mayo and Connor Norby, the Birds would have plenty of talent in the infield even after trading Jackson Holliday. I am not saying this because of the step back he seems to have taken this season. I still believe Holliday will be a very good major leaguer for a very long time, but so will Skubal.

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Bradfield and Fabian are two of the O's three best outfield prospects in an outfield that has no room for them. Even if Anthony Santander, Cedric Mullins and Austin Hays are all gone in two years, the Orioles outfield should still consist of Heston Kjerstad, Colton Cowser and Kyle Stowers (assuming none of them are traded). I expect at least four of those guys will still be around by the time Fabian and Bradfield are ready to break into the majors, along with possibly Billy Cook. Bradfield and Fabian would match nicely with Riley Greene.

Willems is in a similar situation behind both Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo. The Tigers may already have their backstop of the future with Dillon Dingler, who's having a great season in AAA, but he already has a significant injury history at a physically demanding position. A player like Willems will give them some insurance at catcher.

Seth Johnson looks to be fully recovered from his Tommy John surgery and is putting up very good numbers for the AA Bowie Baysox. You almost always have to give up pitching to get pitching and the Orioles #9 prospect would be a nice addition to the Tigers already strong farm system. The Tigers may want more pitching but six of their top 10 prospects are pitchers and the amount of talent offered would be very difficult to say no to.

The addition of Mateo is a win / win. It would give the Tigers a super utility guy that can help fill in while guys like Colt Keith and Tigers' #3 prospect Jace Jung develop, and he can't be any worse than Javy Baez. It also benefits the Orioles by opening up a roster spot the could be filled by Coby Mayo and allow Westburg to play second base full time.

Should the Orioles leverage a significant portion of their future for Tarik Skubal?

This is a lot for the Birds to give up but they would get one of the top starters in the game. Skubal ranks second among all qualified starters in ERA (2.41), tied for fifth in strikeouts (140), second in WHIP (0.88) and fourth in BAA (.190). He relies heavily on his four seam fastball that averages 97mph and has a sinker at the same speed. If that weren't enough to keep hitters off balance, Skubal regularly throws a change-up that produces a 46.8% whiff rate.

Foley would give the Birds another solid option at the back end of the bullpen. Craig Kimbrel has put up good numbers for the Orioles but has been shaky at times and we all saw how he tired at the end of last season. The addition of Foley would help to ensure Kimbrel gets the rest he needs down the stretch while providing another reliable arm.

The Orioles have been patient since the rebuild began and they have trusted the process which has gotten them to this point. Now is the time to finally make that big move. We love to believe that the Birds will re-sign Corbin Burnes but it's far from guaranteed. This should be a great team for years to come but people also said that about the 2016 Chicago Cubs.

The best teams in baseball get better at the deadline to make a World Series push. The Dodgers, for example, have a seven game lead in the NL West and are expecting Clayton Kershaw to return from injury in the second half, but they aren't just sitting around and waiting for that. They're making a pitch to get the best pitcher possibly available.

Adding Skubal, who's under team control through 2026, to a rotation that already includes Burnes and Grayson Rodriguez would give the O's one of the best rotations in baseball. Adding Foley would help to shore up the O's bullpen and potentially make them the World Series favorite. It is a lot to give up but the return is fair and will be more than worth it if the Orioles can win the World Series.