Starting pitchers are needed by the Baltimore Orioles before the MLB trade deadline on July 30. They have been linked to Tarik Skubal, an All-Star player.

On July 25, Jim Bowden of The Athletic sketched up a trade proposal involving the Detroit Tigers and Baltimore.

The Orioles get: Skubal

Heston Kjerstad, Coby Mayo (ranked third), and Cade Povich (ranked eighth) are acquired by the Tigers.

Bowden believed that Detroit would require “everyday” players in order to part with Skubal.

But Bowden noted, “the Tigers would need to get two everyday position players and a starting pitcher they could put right into their rotation to part with an ace like Skubal, who has two additional years of control.” For many years to come, Mayo and Kjerstad would be a great match behind Riley Greene in the Tigers’ lineup, while Povich should grow into a reliable mid-rotation starter.

As of July 25, Kjerstad is a member of the Orioles. Povich, who is presently with the Norfolk Tides, their Triple-A affiliate, has pitched in seven Major League Baseball games this season. Mayo, who is presently in the minor leagues, has being considered for a call-up this season.

Skubal is the AL Cy Young favorite across all DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM, according to VegasInsider.

One of the best starters in the majors, he is the Tigers’ number one pitcher. With 146 strikeouts in 123 innings pitched in 2024, he has a 2.34 ERA.

Bowden: Samuel Basallo and Jackson Holliday would be requested by the Tigers

Bowden conceded that Jackson Holliday or Samuel Basallo, Baltimore’s top two prospects, would probably be the first to discuss a trade for Skubal.

In his writing, Bowden stated that the Orioles would promptly reject the inclusion of either catcher Samuel Basallo or second baseman Jackson Holliday when the Tigers initiated talks about trades involving them.

On July 23, ESPN’s Jeff Passan revealed that Detroit is only trading Skubal in exchange for a huge comeback.

“Despite the justifiable focus on Skubal, obtaining him would necessitate an excessive sum of money that nearly nobody is willing to contemplate,” Passan penned on July 23.

Skubal could potentially be acquired by Baltimore. They will have to think about going all-in if they believe that the ace is the key to their aspirations of winning the World Series. The team will hold Skubal until 2026.

Orioles Are Urged By Ken Rosenthal Not To Trade Holliday

Insider Ken Rosenthal informed Dan Connolly in a Sportskeeda question and answer column that he would not trade Holliday for a pitcher.

Rosenthal answered, “No.” “I will say that because there are no starting pitchers available who are good enough to be traded for Jackson Holliday.” Even Skubal Tarik. Jackson Holliday, a potential All-Star position player, has six years left under contract, while Skubal has two and a half years left.

Rosenthal advised against going all in on a deal like that, citing possible health concerns.

Like any pitcher, Skubal has health issues, Rosenthal said. “He would undoubtedly improve Baltimore’s rotation, but I’m sorry, but Jackson Holliday will be my starting second baseman moving forward.”

Skubal had surgery to repair a damaged flexor tendon in his left elbow, which ended his 2022 season. Since his return in July 2023, nothing has gone wrong.

In his MLB debut, Holliday played in ten games with the Orioles this season. However, it came too soon and was too much for the 20-year-old, who had only two hits in 34 at-bats.

There’s no reason to doubt his MLB prospects. It also doesn’t justify trading him. Though not zero, take the likelihood of a Holliday-for-Skubal exchange to be minimal.

Potential return of big hitters when the Twins play the Tigers

This week, the Minnesota Twins prevailed in a series against the team with the best record in the majors. When they play the Detroit Tigers over the weekend starting on Friday night, they may bring in a few more players. The Phillies were defeated by Minnesota two out of three times, with a 5-4 triumph on Wednesday. With a walk-off infield single, Max Kepler put the finishing touches on the game.

“We’re making due with what we’ve got,” Kepler stated. “A lot of guys are down on the injured list and we’re still competing, which is special with a group this young right now, to go through the stuff we’re going through against these top-tier teams.” Jose Miranda and Royce Lewis, two infielders, may be activated this weekend from the disabled list.

On July 2, Lewis suffered a right adductor strain while playing the Tigers. Miranda has been absent due to a lower back ailment since July 11. Despite playing in only 24 games this season, Lewis—one of the game’s most gifted young hitters—has 10 home runs and five doubles. Miranda was hitting.325 before she was sent on the bench. The Twins’ prospects of overtaking the Cleveland Guardians, who are now atop the American League Central, would increase if those two powerful batters were back in the lineup. Before the Phillies series, the Twins dropped two games to Milwaukee after the All-Star break.

“We faced a very strong team these past three days, and I was happy with how we came together,” Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli stated. “No one gave up. The men never give up here, and they keep playing hard until we win.” Starter Pablo Lopez (8-7, 4.86 ERA) of the Twins will take the mound against Detroit in the first game of the three-game series. In his first outing since the All-Star break, Lopez displayed excellent form, allowing just one run and four hits over the course of seven innings on Saturday. He threw 109 pitches, which was a season high. With a 1-2 record and a 4.24 ERA in three career starts versus Detroit, Lopez has struggled mightily. On April 12, he gave up five runs on six hits in four and a half innings and was defeated by the Tigers.

For Detroit, Keider Montero (1-3, 5.97 ERA) will start the game. In his last two starts, the rookie right-hander has allowed five earned runs in each of the games. In 5 1/3 innings against Toronto on Sunday, Montero gave up five runs on eight hits in his first appearance since the All-Star break. George Springer, an outfielder for the Blue Jays, crushed two home runs off Miguel Montero’s fastballs. “It was more about execution,” A.J. Hinch, manager of the Tigers, stated. “It seems like Keider had trouble finding his location for the majority of the day. Balls that broke were dragged or hung. When you get into fastball counts with those two fastballs, you’re going to be hit by players like Springer. He struck him twice.

July 3rd marked Montero’s only big league victory over the Twins. In 6 1/3 innings, he limited them to two runs and six hits. The Tigers recently returned from a 4-3 road trip. They defeated Cleveland 3-0 on Thursday afternoon to win the series finale, which was split into four games. We’re not flawless, of course, and you always reflect on the defeats and ask yourself, ‘How might we have won?’ This bunch is having a great time, and we’ve been playing really well for a while,” Hinch remarked.