Jeff Passan's Dodgers-Tarik Skubal trade admission leaves Yankees with no choice

If you've been paying attention, the Detroit Tigers already tipped their hand as to what their deadline plan is with Tarik Skubal after they DFA'd his personal catcher, Jake Rogers, a couple of days ago. That all but confirmed that Skubal will be on the move, but will the New York Yankees be the ones ready to make a deal?

If you believe (and you should) ESPN's Jeff Passan, the answer is no. The MLB super insider went on SportsCenter and reported that the two-time reigning AL Cy Young winner will be traded and that the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers are the favorites to land him.

There was a point in time when it looked like the Yankees trading for Skubal was a luxury, but now one could argue it's a necessity. Will Warren has struggled mightily of late, posting a 6.57 ERA over his last eight starts. Meanwhile, Ryan Weathers has shown some signs of running out of gas, as the 108 innings he's thrown are by far a career high.

Add in the fact that Carlos Rodón is an unknown as he works his way back from inflammation in his left elbow (which lost some loose bodies over the winter), and it's fair to say that rotation help is now a need. And if Brian Cashman is going to solve that need, he might as well grab the best answer out there.

Yankees trading for Tarik Skubal would also be wise as a defensive move against the Dodgers

Beyond the reasons why New York should go get Skubal to bolster its roster, there's some logic in playing defense here, too. This is something the Yankees used to do with greater frequency in the past, often targeting guys to keep them away from the Red Sox, but the logic works here, too.

The goal of every Yankees season is to end it with a World Series ring, so while making the playoffs in the suddenly contentious AL East is no guarantee, Cashman should be formulating his deadline plan with the end in mind.

After falling to the Dodgers in the 2024 World Series, he should understand that they are the greatest threat to the Yankees' World Series aspirations, and they have long been rumored to like Skubal.

Los Angeles has been without Shohei Ohtani in the starting rotation due to a balky knee, and now his return to the mound has been thrown into even greater uncertainty with the revelation that he's also suffering from a right biceps issue.

A lot of the Dodgers beat reporters have spun the narrative that LA will be conservative at the trade deadline, but USA Today's Bob Nightengale has spun a different narrative, going so far as to quote rival executives who believe that they'll be "greedy" at the deadline, with Skubal serving as their prime target.

Letting Skubal go to the Dodgers, who likely will find some way to underpay by virtue of their trumped-up farm system, would essentially be game over for the Yankees' hopes at a World Series title in 2026. Allowing that to happen while New York also has a need for the ace's services would be malpractice, and Cashman must be playing offense and defense at the same time, landing Skubal and keeping him out of the Dodgers' clutches all in one fell swoop.

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