Tigers’ perfect trade offer for Angels’ Jose Soriano after Tarik Skubal injury

Tarik Skubal, arguably the best starting pitcher in MLB, will miss around two months due to left elbow surgery. The procedure on his throwing arm will remove bone chips and has the Detroit Tigers scrambling for a potential replacement. The Tigers are currently below .500, but they are only a game back of the American League Central lead. That division is so winnable that the Tigers can’t afford to lose any footing while their ace is sidelined.

Skubal has won the AL Cy Young in back-to-back seasons. So, a logical replacement would be a pitcher in the running for that award this season. Jose Soriano has the fourth-shortest odds to be named the Cy Young winner, but he is finding his success on a below-average Los Angeles Angels team that might once again end up becoming sellers. Could the Tigers trade for Soriano with Skubal on the mend?

Tigers’ trade proposal for Jose Soriano

Detroit Tigers receive: Jose Soriano

Los Angeles Angels receive: Bryce Rainer, Josue Briceno, Kelvis Salcedo

Soriano has been dominant this season for the Angels. He has a 1.74 ERA over eight games, and he accounts for five of Los Angeles’ 15 wins. His numbers would look even better if it weren’t for a recent hiccup in back-to-back showings against the Chicago White Sox. Even with his recent performances, Soriano looks every bit the part of a long-term ace.

The starter is just 27 years old, and he is punching out batters with more frequency this year. He is throwing his heater with more velocity and his sinker with more break. The Tigers would be in a solid short-term place if they were able to trade for Soriano because he is one of the few players who could actually come close to replicating Skubal’s production.

He’d be perhaps an even better fit long-term, including when Skubal makes his return. Soriano is a righty, so he’d provide balance to Skubal’s southside pop. The elite duo would form arguably the best starting rotation in baseball with Framber Valdez, Jack Flaherty, and Justin Verlander.

The team’s immediate need for a pitcher is evident, though, because of those three pitchers, Valdez is also currently suspended, and Verlander is on the 15-day injured list. The Tigers need a boost, and a blockbuster deal for Soriano would provide it.

Would the Angels trade Jose Soriano?

While parting with a young, up-and-coming star like Soriano wouldn’t be an easy pill to swallow, it would make some sense for the Angels. Particularly if the team’s trading partner was the Tigers. Detroit has one of the best farm systems in baseball, and they are littered with star prospects.

The Angels are still a ways away from contending, so trading one young stud for multiple could make some sense. Max Clark, one of the top 10 prospects in all of baseball, is likely off the table, as is the recently extended Kevin McGonigle, a shortstop who recently graduated from his prospect status.

The Angels would likely request almost everyone else of note in the Tigers’ farm system. Bryce Rainer and Josue Briceno are both top 100 prospects in their own right. Anything short of a trade, including those two, might not be enough for the Angels to be willing to part with Soriano. The young ace is youthful enough that the Tigers may be willing to part with such premier assets, and the Angels may view two young studs as better than one. That could be the recipe for a jaw-dropping trade.

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