Proposed Orioles trade for Tarik Skubal would be Baltimore’s dream scenario

Everyone is very aware that the Baltimore Orioles need real starting pitching depth. While there is a real chance that the Orioles could do what they did last offseason and go with band-aid solutions that probably won't work, what Baltimore really needs to do is take a big swing for a proven frontline starter. As it turns out, one that could be on the trade market is Tigers ace Tarik Skubal.

If you ask anyone, Skubal is easily in the top three pitchers in the game of baseball right now, and he has a really, really strong case for #1. Even though Skubal is heavily favored to win his second straight Cy Young award and is a huge reason why Detroit did well this season, the Tigers and Skubal appear to be very far apart in negotiations on an extension. As a result, the odds that Skubal is traded this offseason have never been higher.

Given the reality of the situation, Bleacher Report decided to list the leading Skubal trade candidates as well as potential trade packages that could work, and the Orioles' section is pretty intriguing if you are a Baltimore fan.

The Orioles trading for Tarik Skubal isn't as crazy as it sounds, but closing a deal is going to be very tricky

While Skubal only has one year of team control left, he is still going to command a hefty price for any trade to be possible. However, the Orioles do have at least some precedent for making this sort of trade. The one time in recent memory that this Baltimore front office took adding to the rotation seriously was when they traded for Corbin Burnes before his walk year. It will take more than what they gave up then to get Skubal this time around, but we are at least in somewhat familiar waters here.

Looking deeper at B/R's trade package, it is clear that if they are right about what could get a trade with the Tigers across the finish line, Orioles fans would likely be thrilled. According to B/R's Tim Kelly, if Baltimore were to assemble that looked something like prospects Enrique Bradfield Jr. and Ike Irish as well as an MLB roster piece like Coby Mayo, that would be a great starting point.

That certainly isn't cheap, but that is the price one must pay to add an ace like Skubal, and that price is surprisingly reasonable. Of course, Detroit would have to agree with Kelly's assessment here, and trading for Skubal then introduces the question of whether or not the Orioles can keep him, but that would actually be a great problem to have.