​Aroldis Chapman is regarded as the Boston Red Sox’s premier trade target. Meanwhile, Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels is not expected to be moved. As the August 3 trade deadline nears and the top MLB postseason contenders circle, a central question emerges: will the Tigers actually entertain offers for Tarik Skubal, or will they ride the momentum of seven wins in their last 10 games to reinsert themselves into the American League Wild Card chase? MLB.com’s Skubal tracker and The Athletic’s latest reporting have kept the Skubal situation at the forefront of trade discussions. Skubal remains the deadline’s defining name, and conventional wisdom continues to lean toward selling a pending free agent who could reset a market. Detroit’s current surge has muddied the outlook. Yet ESPN’s July 6 update still placed Skubal as the top trade candidate with an 85 percent chance of moving.
Rival executives have argued that the Tigers “have to move Skubal,” even as Skubal has pushed back, saying Detroit is “a very good baseball team,” and he would prefer the club add at the deadline rather than subtract. That tension—between the market’s best pitcher and a team that has suddenly found life—defines the current dynamic. MLB.com’s deadline coverage has underscored this split. Since returning from elbow surgery, Skubal has looked strong, reaching 99.9 mph and maintaining compelling stuff that keeps potential buyers engaged even as Detroit’s resurgence reconfigures the market. Jon Heyman has noted that the Dodgers and Yankees aren’t expected to be among the leading suitors, which leaves a broader, more unsettled market for Skubal.
Turning to the Twins, Ryan Jeffers has emerged as the Yankees’ clearest catcher target, a fit grounded in New York’s offense, which has offered little punch at the catcher position. MLB.com has identified catching as the Yankees’ primary deadline need, and Bleacher Report has highlighted ongoing speculation that Jeffers could be involved in a bullpen-return type deal. Jeffers is currently working his way back from a left hamate fracture, but before the injury he was hitting .295 with seven home runs, 26 RBIs and a .949 OPS, a profile that keeps him prominent in the rumor mill. The Twins possess depth at catcher to cover the position if a deal were to materialize, which maintains Jeffers as a frequent name in trade chatter.
The Yankees, meanwhile, are feeling urgency after dropping 10 of their last 12 and scoring an average of only 2.67 runs per game in that stretch. Aaron Judge has been dealing with a fractured rib, the offense has shown inconsistency, and MLB.com has specifically called out Austin Wells as needing more thump behind the plate. These factors help explain why Jeffers remains among the most active, hot-button topics on the trade board as the deadline approaches.