Why Orioles might be a sneaky landing spot for Tarik Skubal originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Baltimore Orioles are not in a postseason spot at the moment, and at 30-33, they’re only 0.5 games out of a Wild Card spot at the moment.
So, while they might be trending towards being sellers at this year’s deadline, the Orioles may wind up buying as well. And if they do, starting pitching is a must.
Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report named Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers as a possible trade target for the Orioles, and such a fit would actually work well for an Orioles team that could view itself as a serious World Series contender.
Why Orioles are sneaky Tarik Skubal landing spot
“Baltimore needs help in their starting rotation, and would be an interesting landing spot for Tarik Skubal or Freddy Peralta if they are contending in early August,” Kelly writes.
The Orioles are not that far out of a playoff spot that they can’t be completely written off in the Skubal sweepstakes. Baltimore is very much in play to earn a Wild Card spot.
Of course, it’s far from a guarantee, but if they are in contention come August 3’s trade deadline day, then Mike Elias might be willing to call up the Tigers for a chance to land Skubal.
The left-hander is a two-time Cy Young winner and has a 2.70 ERA this season. He might be on the injured list at the moment, but if he comes back and proves he’s not lost a step, Skubal’s trade market will involve practically every contender.
MORE: Tarik Skubal being traded by Tigers would help him in free agency
If the Orioles believe that they can win it all this year, which might not be that far-fetched a reality considering how good their offense has looked this season, then adding Skubal to resolve the biggest need is worth considering.
Similar to the Chicago Cubs, the Orioles’ biggest issue is their starting rotation. The Cubs are strongly tied to Skubal, and so too should the Orioles.
It would cost Baltimore a lot of prospect capital to acquire Skubal, but if there’s any consideration into believing this year might be their year, the Orioles should have no reservations about spending for Skubal in a trade.
Whether it’s the right idea for the Orioles or not in the long-term is up for debate. But if this team has a chance to go on a postseason run this year, trading for Skubal should be a high priority for this team.
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