With just under two weeks until the MLB trade deadline, the New York Yankees have a lot of work to do.
Coming out of the All-Star break one game behind the Baltimore Orioles in the division and 11-19 over their last 30 games, making a run during the second half will require some big moves.
Making a blockbuster trade for a top-tier pitcher like Garrett Crochet is on the table, but Jon Heyman of The Post suggested the Yankees potentially make another move for the current Cy Young favorite.
Heyman suggested the one player the Yankees should trade top prospect Spencer Jones for is Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal.
"In what would be a major deadline coup, if the Yankees can land Cy Young favorite Tarik Skubal of the Tigers for a package including Jones, go for it," Heyman wrote.
Landing Skubal would be a massive upgrade for a starting rotation that has struggled for the last month with a league-worst 6.20 ERA since June 15.
With Luis Gil potentially moving to the bullpen due to innings concerns, the Yankees may need another starter to pair with Gerrit Cole at the top of the rotation.
"The Yankees are more focused on the bullpen, and that’s no surprise. But if they can land Skubal, no prospect should be untouchable. He’s that good," Heyman wrote.
Skubal has been the best starting pitcher in the American League this season despite the Tigers likely being sellers at the deadline. The 27-year-old is 10-3 with a 2.41 ERA, 116 strikeouts, 21 walks and a 0.88 WHIP in 116 innings.
Skubal still has two more years of team control so that makes things much more complicated for a team looking to acquire him.
Parting with Jones won't be an easy decision for the Yankees, especially with Alex Verdugo and Juan Soto set to hit free agency this offseason.
But if they can land a potential Cy Young winner, it's a decision that must be considered as they look to take advantage of this current window.
