MLB writer links Padres to blockbuster trade pursuit for Tarik Skubal

Tarik Skubal is the best left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball, and it isn't particularly close. On the heels of earning 2024 AL Cy Young Award honors, the 28-year-old flamethrower followed suit in 2025 by outdoing himself.

Running up the MLB leaderboards in ERA (2.21), WHIP (0.891), BB/9 (1.5), ERA+ (187), and just about every sabermetric thinkable, Skubal is suddenly on the table for trade talks. He is arbitration eligible in 2026, and he can test free agency in 2027, making him the perfect trade candidate this offseason.

Skubal is going to cost the Detroit Tigers one pretty penny for him to stay put, but the writing is on the wall that they will be unable to afford him. This has opened Pandora's box into the seemingly limitless possibilities of where he could end up. Every single postseason contender would be smart to try and throw their hat in the sweepstakes, especially the San Diego Padres.

The Friars are soon going to be desperate for another ace to join Nick Pivetta atop the starting rotation. Dylan Cease and Michael King will likely be given qualifying offers, which they will politely decline as they seek out a long-term lucrative contract themselves. Could AJ Preller spin a deal for Skubal to replace these two starters? Tim Kelly from Bleacher Report gives the Padres a shot.

Padres have outside shot of trading for Tarik Skubal, but further speculation has fans believing

Craziness dominates Preller's craft as the President of Baseball Operations for San Diego. He's unleashed a world of eye-popping moves, so it's difficult to rule the Padres out of contention for Skubal, because, well, Preller is fearless enough to make it happen. That much we can appreciate.

Ethan Salas and Kruz Schoolcraft would 100 percent be involved in trade discussions, though, who both sit in the MLB Top 100 prospects list. A lot of general managers would walk from the trading table if they had to give up this caliber of players, but Preller has shown that he isn't like everyone else. He is not afraid to give top prospects away for players who can help San Diego win a World Series right now. That alone is enough for Friars fan to believe that their team has an opportunity to pursue to Tarik Skubal. Will it materialize? We'll have to impatiently wait and see if Preller has another trick up his sleeve. Until then, Skubal pitching for the Padres will remain a fantasy.