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Coming into the MLB offseason, many eyes were on the Detroit Tigers and what the team would do with ace Tarik Skubal. Skubal is generally seen as one of, if not the best, pitchers in the entire sport right now.

The left-hander has won two straight Cy Young awards, and he is now in line for a potentially historic new contract after this upcoming season. Skubal is entering the final year of his deal, and there has been some speculation that the Tigers could look to trade him away.

Detroit should be doing whatever it takes to keep him around, but far too often in baseball, teams choose to trade stars instead of keeping them. The Tigres may not want to pay what it will take to keep him on the roster, so the rumors of a trade have started to swirl around.

This past season, Skubal continued to dominate on the mound for the Tigers, posting an ERA of 2.21 over 31 starts. The left-hander also struck out 241 batters in 195.1 innings of work, while posting a WHIP of .089.

As the Tigers try to figure out the next steps with Skubal, the speculation about a trade has only grown louder and louder. Skubal has said that his preference is to remain with the team for the long haul, but that he understands it is a business at the end of the day.

If Skubal were to be traded, it could certainly cost an incredible haul from whatever team were to land his services. With there being only a handful of teams across the league that possess the prospect capital to get a deal done, the likelihood of a trade remains small.

But there are a few organizations, like the Los Angeles Dodgers or even the New York Mets, who could pull this off. However, for now, it seems that Skubal will remain in Detroit, but as with everything, this entire situation remains very fluid.

This is just a prediction, NOT a report!

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Tarik Skubal Traded to the New York Mets

Many have liked the Mets in a trade of Skubal, and the destination makes a lot of sense. Since New York has the finances to pay Skubal what he would want in a new deal, the Mets have already been seen as a landing spot for him.

But the Mets also have a strong number of prospects that could push the deal to the finish line with the Tigers. While New York could wait until free agency next offseason to just outright sign Skubal, the team also can’t afford to waste another year.

The Mets missed the playoffs this season, even with the large payroll, so adding a player like Skubal to the rotation would drastically help. New York needs an ace-level starter, and Skubal could become the face of the pitching staff for years to come.

All in all, the Mets make a lot of sense for Skubal if the Tigers decide not to pay him what he is worth. If Detroit messes this up, teams like the Mets will come calling and reap the benefits.