For nearly a decade, the Milwaukee Brewers have asserted themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the NL Central. Instead of conforming to the league's trends or overspending for big names, the Brewers have done it their own way — through savvy trades, an elite farm system and a top-notch player development program.
But to get over the hump and bring a World Series home to the Brew City, they might need to get uncharacteristic, and Tarik Skubal offers the perfect opportunity to step outside the box.
Appearing on Foul Territory TV, MLB Insider Ken Rosenthal discussed the possibility of Milwaukee as a destination for the Detroit Tigers' 29-year-old ace pitcher:
"They, in this position they're in right now, are doing a tremendous job of developing young players [and] bringing them to the major leagues, and this was actually a reason why I though a trade for [Tarik Skubal], while extremely unlikely for them, most likely, is something that they can at least entertain because they have the prospects to do it," Rosenthal explained.
Skubal, a two-time Cy Young Award winner widely regarded as one of the greatest pitchers in the world, has been the center of trade rumors with the Tigers tied for the second-worst record in the entire MLB entering Wednesday's slate. They've dropped all but three of their last 20 games and stand 10.5 games back in the AL Central standings.
It's not often that the Milwaukee Brewers take a big swing like this, and while Rosenthal admitted that he doesn't necessarily believe the front office would make a deal like this, a bold move like trading for Tarik Skubal is exactly what the franchise needs to put its foot down and let the league know Milwaukee is ready to chase the pennant.
The Milwaukee Brewers are knocking on the door of greatness, and trading for Tarik Skubal could put them over the edge.
Teams respect what Milwaukee has built and don't tend to underestimate them, but let's keep it real — no one seems particularly afraid of the Brewers in the postseason. If history shows us anything, it's that, for as impactful as this team is in the regular season, they haven't always been able to pull it all together when it matters most.
But this isn't the same old Brew Crew. With a unique blend of veterans playing some of their best ball and one of the most dynamic young cores in baseball, the Milwaukee Brewers are in a prime position to go all-in, and there's no better opportunity to do that than buying in on Skubal. At the very least, they could take a chance on a one-year rental before he hits free agency and cashes in on a long-term contract elsewhere.
Milwaukee doesn't have reliable veteran starters in the pitching rotation right now — especially with Brandon Woodruff still working his way back to the mound. On top of that, young pitchers aren't always the most reliable come Playoff time.
But can you imagine the power dynamic of starting Skubal in one game and Jacob Misiorowski in the next during a Playoff series? It'd be a terrifying proposition for opponents to face, and one that could push the Brewers closer to contending with the team everyone is chasing right now: the Los Angeles Dodgers.
As Rosenthal said, it's pretty unrealistic given Milwaukee's track record, but he did point to the team's 2008 trade for CC Sabathia. While they weren't able to go all the way during his tenure, Sabathia became a beloved member of the team who ultimately landed on the Milwaukee Brewers Wall of Honor earlier this month.
Risk is inherent in any trade, but players like Skubal do not become available often. There's always a shot that any trade you make doesn't work out. But what's worse — losing a trade for a superstar player while chasing a title, or never pushing you chips to the center of the table at all?
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