Yankees-Tarik Skubal trade rumors and the point everybody keeps missing

The New York Yankees did their best to force the Detroit Tigers to trade Tarik Skubal at the trade deadline by handing the reigning two-time American League Cy Young winner the loss during the series finale against the Tigers on June 24. And they'll have another chance on Tuesday night in the Bronx. That could put the Yankees one step closer to acquiring the superstar southpaw by the Aug. 3 deadline.

Now, many will say that New York doesn't need Skubal. The team's biggest needs are in the bullpen, a right-handed-hitting catcher, and possibly an infielder who can play either shortstop or third base. Yankees' starters have been at the top of the leaderboards all season long, and the rotation has never been completely at full strength as we're still waiting for Gerrit Cole and Max Fried to be healthy together at the same time.

And that's exactly why the Yankees should go out and get the game's best lefty. They don't need him, but with him the rotation would be otherworldly dominant. The unit could be historically dominant. And that might be just the edge the organization needs to take home its first World Series title since 2009.

Depth and balance are what make for a winning team in the regular season, but in the constricted spaces of October baseball, whichever team can impose its will on the other is the one most likely to end up victorious.

There are practical reasons for the Yankees to go get Tarik Skubal above all else, too

It's easy to say that the Yankees need to go out and get the top bullpen arm available, but when you consider that the relievers at the top of that list are expected to be Aroldis Chapman and Antonio Senzatela, you can see where the problem with that logic lies.

Chapman has demanded an apology from Brian Cashman that he certainly won't get, so you can cross that option off the list. Senzatela is more realistic, but that's a frightening thing given the Rockies' closer's 6.65 ERA as a starter last year and career-long track record of mediocrity.

The need in the bullpen might not be quite the sore spot it's made out to be, and with Carlos Lagrange waiting in the wings to be unleashed out there, there are some internal solutions. Trading for Skubal could indirectly help as well by pushing either Will Warren or Ryan Weathers to the 'pen.

As for the infield need, shortstops Jeremy Peña and CJ Abrams are the cream of the crop, but it's unclear if either will actually be available. If they are, it's worth noting Peña's durability issues with two IL stints last year and three more so far this season, as well as Abrams' numerous red flags, which include his poor defense and his outlier of an offensive campaign in 2026.

The third base market is also light, with Matt Chapman being an option that comes with an albatross of a contract that won't age well, and Isaac Paredes being a questionable fit overall thanks to his extreme pull-happy approach as a right-handed hitter.

The best player who could be available, by far, is Skubal, and that matters. The Yankees have taken half measures at the deadline before, and look what it has gotten them. The difference between a rotation arm like Ryan Weathers with a 4.08 ERA and a bona fide ace is gigantic, even if there's nothing inherently wrong with Weathers as a back-of-the-rotation starter to begin with.

The underlying theme of this season for the Yankees has been an uncommon sense of urgency, but that means nothing if taking home the franchise's 28th championship isn't acted on appropriately. Skubal is that kind of move, and unless the price tag is egregious, Cashman needs to strongly consider pulling the trigger on a deal.

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