ESPN's proposed Brewers Tarik Skubal trade package proves why Tigers' ace might not be worth it

Major League Baseball's August 3 trade deadline is now roughly about seven weeks away, and the talk of the market is Detroit Tigers left-handed starting pitcher Tarik Skubal, who recently returned to health after a minor procedure on his elbow. The Milwaukee Brewers, who boast the league's best farm system, naturally could be in these sweepstakes given their surplus of quality prospects.

If the Brewers decide to make a serious push for Skubal, they could assemble one of the most formidable postseason rotations in baseball. Pairing him with Cy Young front-runner Jacob Misiorowski, who turned in one of the most impressive pitching performances in Brewers' history last night, and breakout left-hander Kyle Harrison would give Milwaukee a dominant trio capable of defeating any team in October. Such a move would also evoke memories of 2008, when then-general manager Doug Melvin boldly acquired CC Sabathia, a trade that sparked one of the most memorable stretches by a pitcher in franchise history and helped break the Brewers' postseason drought.

The Brewers acquired Sabathia in exchange for four prospects: first baseman Matt LaPorta, right-hander Rob Bryson, left-hander Zach Jackson, and outfielder Michael Brantley. LaPorta was widely viewed as the centerpiece of the package, but it was Brantley who ultimately went on to enjoy the most successful major league career. Just as importantly, Milwaukee was able to complete the deal without parting with some of its other top prospects, including Alcides Escobar and Matt Gamel, demonstrating that blockbuster trades don't always require emptying the entire farm system.

That said, ESPN recently floated a trade proposal that would send Skubal to Milwaukee in exchange for Top 100 prospects 3B Andrew Fischer and OF Luis Lara as well as major league pitcher Coleman Crow, who just recently went down with a concerning flexor strain. For a player who is half of a season away from free agency, that's an extremely steep asking price.

If Andrew Fischer, Luis Lara, and Coleman Crow aren't "enough" to acquire Skubal, it could be difficult for Brewers to acquire Tigers' ace

According to some in the industry, ESPN's proposed Brewers-Skubal package might not even be enough to pry the ace away from Detroit. One evaluator noted that Milwaukee would likely need to include "a better pitcher" to get a deal across the finish line. The proposal included Crow before he landed on the injured list with a flexor strain, but the young right-hander still carries significant value thanks to his devastating curveball and six years of team control.

Crow, paired with power-hitting prospect Fischer and outfielder Luis Lara—who has since signed a long-term extension with Milwaukee and emerged as one of the breakout prospects in baseball this season—already constitutes a significant package. The fact that some evaluators still don't view that return as enough to acquire Skubal shows just how costly a deal for the Tigers' ace would likely be.

To complicate matters even further, it's difficult to envision Milwaukee parting with Fischer, who currently leads all of Minor League Baseball with 20 home runs through 52 games. Lara also appears highly unlikely to be moved after recently signing a long-term extension, while Crow's trade value has taken a hit following his injury.

As a result, the framework of ESPN's proposed package already feels outdated. If the Brewers and Tigers were to seriously engage in trade discussions, the deal would likely need to be built around a much different collection of prospects, one that would likely similarly deplete their farm system if the proposed early asking price is to be believed.

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