The Detroit Tigers have been pushed to move on from their ace in exchange for a massive haul, but could they also use it as an opportunity to rid themselves of one of baseball’s worst contracts?
Zach Pressnell of FanSided put together a massive trade that would see Tarik Skubal moved along with Javier Baez as partial payment to allow the Baltimore Orioles to get their guy without trading away Jackson Holliday.
Baez signed a six-year, $140 million deal back in 2022 and has been abysmal since with things reaching new lows this season.
In 63 games this year, he has a .176/.210/.446 slashing line. He’s only hit one home run, despite formerly being a star slugger when he was with the Chicago Cubs.
He’s signed through the end of the 2028 season and is making an average of $24.5 million for the rest of his contract.
The 31-year-old is normally considered an un-tradeable contract, but could be used as a bargaining piece with Baltimore.
The Orioles desperately want to add Skubal, but don’t want to move Holliday. Taking on the Baez contract could be seen as the two sides compromising.
Detroit would also still be receiving a massive haul of prospects. The whole deal would be the Tigers sending Skubal, Baez and some cash to help with the contract situation to Baltimore in exchange for outfielder Kyle Stowers, catcher Samuel Basallo, utility player Connor Norby and right-handed pitcher Trace Bright.
Basallo is the biggest selling point of this deal for Detroit and is someone that the Orioles consider to only be on the table for the biggest of deals. A Skubal trade certainly meets that threshold.
He’s a power hitting catcher that Baltimore has also started on the journey of being a first baseman. Where he lands with his glove is the only real question about his future career in the majors.
At the Double-A level, over the past two seasons, he’s slashing .280/.247/.450. He has high ceiling as a home run hitter as well as being a solid lefty-lefty slugger. He hits for more power against southpaws, but gets on base more against righties.
Norby is another one of the Orioles’ top-10 prospects. He’s done very well over the last two seasons at Triple-A, but had a short and disappointing debut stint in MLB play this season.
In the minors, though, he’s slashing .297/.389/.519 at the plate with 16 home runs and 13 stolen bases.
Stowers and Bright aren’t necessarily as exciting of players, but definitely have a future at the MLB level and could be useful players as the Tigers rebuild.
