Even with the emergence of Brayan Bello, it’s not enough for the Red Sox, as a lack of quality options was one of their biggest demises in the American League Wild Card Series against the New York Yankees. Now, they have to decide if they will add via free agency or the trade market.

If they are to pursue the trade market, there is one name that jumps out right away: Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal. Skubal, who is entering the final year of his deal, has been linked to almost every contender already, and the offseason hasn’t even officially started.

The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey looked at what it might take for Boston to swing a deal.

“A deal for Skubal most likely starts with Payton Tolle or Connelly Early, in addition to a top young hitter or two,” McCaffrey wrote for The Athletic. “Roman Anthony is all but off the table. The Tigers might want Marcelo Mayer (even as a lefty hitter), but it seems more likely the Red Sox would offer Double-A shortstop Franklin Arias or Triple-A outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia, both top 50 in baseball and top 10 prospects in the Red Sox system. The Tigers may also be interested in Jarren Duran (despite being another lefty), given he’s a proven big leaguer, despite a less productive season compared to his breakout 2024. That he’s under control through 2028 is a key piece for a Tigers team looking to compete.”

Trading Durran as part of the deal would make sense as Detroit needs some hitters to bolster its lineup for next season. However, the main area the Tigers would want to address is pitching. Even though Skubal could be a free agent this time next year, the Red Sox may not have a choice but to ship out Tolle and Connelly. Detroit will want to ensure the replacement(s) for Skubal to keep the Tigers a contender.

If the Red Sox did acquire Skubal, McCaffrey believes they would have to be confident about one thing.

“The Red Sox would have to be fairly confident they can sign Skubal to an extension if they gave up that kind of haul,” she wrote.

If Boston can do a trade-plus-extension deal with Detroit for Skubal, Craig Breslow shouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger. The duo of Skubal and Crochet would mow through lineups with ease for next season and beyond.

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