Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is all smiles these days. Following a weird offseason defined by his viral (and controversial) Bryce Harper comments, and the questionable handling of Rob Thomson's firing, Dombrowski's been in some hot water until recently. But Philadelphia has completely taken off under interim manager Don Mattingly, making the Phillies' top decision-maker look like a genius all over again.
While Phillies are looking like a postseason contender again under Mattingly (though the division likely belongs to the Atlanta Braves this year), Dombrowski can now sit back in his armchair while haughtily awaiting a collective apology from Phillies fans, and plotting his next move.
It's that kind of confident, do-no-wrong mindset that has been known to tempt a general manager into a big swing on the trade market, and Dombrowski might be eyeing just the opportunity for such a blockbuster move with the word that Tarik Skubal could be available this summer.
Tarik Skubal situation with Tigers could lead to Phillies trade interest
While it's all good vibes in Philly of late, nothing of the sort is happening with A.J. Hinch's Tigers club. Detroit has plummeted to last place in the division while their ace is on the IL. The Tigers have the second-worst record in the entire American League, and a deadline sale is looking more and more likely with each passing day.
Skubal is progressing nicely, but his return to the Tigers likely won't turn Detroit's situation into a contending one. If the Tigers are able to rebound and maintain their World Series hopes, they might take a risk and hold onto Skubal. Otherwise, they'd be losing him for absolutely nothing next offseason.
Tarik Skubal trade chances are rising.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) May 21, 2026
1. Tigers have lost 14 of 16 and are in last and 5 games out in WC race. 2. Tigers have 5 starters on IL. 3. Skubal is progressing since elbow scope. 4. Tigers chances to extend him are nil.
Dombrowski has a track record of sticking his neck out and snagging an elite starter to bolster his club's title hopes. He traded for Nathan Eovaldi and Chris Sale during his time with the Boston Red Sox, and he did the same to acquire David Price and Max Scherzer while part of the Tigers' front office.
Acquiring Skubal would be the biggest(and riskiest) move of them all. But Dombrowski might be looking over at the back-to-back champion Los Angeles Dodgers, and a humongous trade that brings Skubal into the fold is precisely what it'll take to dethrone LA.
The Phillies already have a strong rotation when healthy, but adding Skubal to a playoff rotation featuring Zack Wheeler and Cristopher Sanchez would indeed give Philly the best group of starters in the NL.
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