The only Brewers trade package that would convince Tigers to trade Tarik Skubal

While insiders have been shooting down the idea that the Tigers' decision on whether or not to trade Tarik Skubal has come down to their 16 games between the All-Star break and the deadline, we sure started hearing a lot more about lurking suitors after they lost three straight.

Immediately after Detroit fell 8-5 to the Orioles on Monday night, the reports started rolling in. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic wrote that interested teams had kept their distance out of respect for the Tigers' attempt to get into the Wild Card picture, but were gearing up to make their calls.

The Dodgers, Brewers, Rays, Braves, and Yankees were all named in that report. Since it was published, the Phillies have also been reported to have sent scouts to Skubal's last start.

Each of these teams has a sturdy enough farm system and the major league-ready talent that could get a deal done, but all eyes will be on the Dodgers, midway through their quest for a three-peat, and the Brewers, desperate to finally get over the hump. Entering play on Wednesday, they sported twin .626 winning percentages, the best in baseball by a large margin.

However, the Brewers are the far more interesting thought experiment of the two. Could this be the year they get out of their comfort zone, that they pull off a trade to rival their 2008 CC Sabathia blockbuster with the Guardians? Or will they cling too tightly to their prospects and let the Dodgers feast?

Building a Brewers-Tigers Tarik Skubal trade package that Scott Harris would have to accept

Rosenthal wrote that the Brewers would likely stay firm on keeping No. 1 prospect Jesús Made, which is understandable. What's less understandable is if they "balk" at giving up pitcher Logan Henderson, as Rosenthal cautioned.

A deal without Henderson is a deal that Scott Harris would (or should) turn down. He's gone up and down this year and was hurt for a little over a month, but he was Milwaukee's No. 13 prospect last season and is exactly the kind of the young, controllable arm the Tigers are looking for.

This rest of the package should look something like this:

What we're looking for here — and what the Tigers should be looking for — is a starter who can immediately slot into the rotation, an outfielder not too far away from the majors, and a late-inning reliever, which would effectively kill all birds with one stone. It could even keep Detroit in the playoff race after Skubal leaves.

Adamczewski is in Double-A right now, but he's a fast-riser who could plausibly be ready by the middle of the 2027 season. He's been a career .314/.430/.507 hitter in the minors since the Brewers took him in the 15th round of the 2023 draft and MLB Pipeline's No. 88 prospect in baseball. Ashby is in the fourth season of a team-friendly five-year deal with two club options for 2028 and 2029. He's been a strikeout machine, with 82 in 60 1/3 innings this season.

This package looks massive, but insiders are in agreement that the Tigers' asking price will be "exorbitant," which it should be. If the Brewers want to blow the Dodgers out of the water and finally make a move that best positions them to win their franchise's first World Series, this is the package that gets it done.

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