MLB rumors: Why Phillies probably won’t trade for Tarik Skubal

The Philadelphia Phillies have been on the struggle bus of late, recently blowing a 6-0 lead to lose to the Miami Marlins on the road. The Phillies now sit 6.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves for first place in the NL East division race, unable to take advantage of Atlanta’s own skid as of late.

Some have speculated that the Phillies could be in the market for another starting pitcher at the upcoming MLB trade deadline, but recently, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic broke down why fans probably shouldn’t hold their breath on Philadelphia pursuing the biggest name on the market: Detroit Tigers star Tarik Skubal.

“I just don’t see the Phillies having enough to do it. They have other needs too, particularly in their outfield and bullpen. This is not a team with a great farm system… teams want other clubs’ players more, talking about prospects. So I don’t see them being a serious player for Skubal,” said Rosenthal, per Foul Territory on X, formerly Twitter.

Skubal has been on the trade rumor mill for essentially the entire 2026 MLB season as the Tigers’ struggles have mounted, with various teams from both leagues throwing their respective hats into the ring.

While the Phillies could certainly use another starting-quality arm in their rotation before the playoffs roll around, the team currently has more pressing needs, as Rosenthal mentioned, with superstar Bryce Harper recently publicly pining for the front office to make a move in a quote that generated controversy in the media.

For now, the Phillies will have to make do with what they have, a quest that will continue on Friday when they kick off a weekend series against the Baltimore Orioles.

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