It's been a busy offseason in the Bay Area, as the San Francisco Giants have attempted to bolster their starting pitching to become a more well-rounded team. With the Detroit Tigers' Tarik Skubal potentially headed toward free agency next year, the Giants suddenly have a pitcher they could be chasing to improve their starting rotation. But should they chase the Tigers' ace?
San Francisco finished 17th in starting pitching ERA, producing mixed results last season. Therefore, the Giants continue to chase starting pitchers and look to field a team that can make a playoff run in 2026. After losing Dylan Cease to the Toronto Blue Jays, the Giants may need to replace one of their top pitchers. A rotation that includes Logan Webb, an aging Justin Verlander, Robbie Ray, Jordan Hicks, and Kyle Harrison needs someone better.
That is where Skubal comes in. While the Giants have high-quality starting pitchers, acquiring Skubal could put them over the edge. Here is why they need to do it.
The Giants need a shutdown ace
Some might argue that the Giants already have a shutdown ace. Webb has a good season, going 15-11 with a 3.22 ERA and 224 strikeouts (third in the majors). Meanwhile, Ray went 11-8 with a 3.65 ERA. Both are good, above-average pitchers. However, neither is a shutdown pitcher.
With Skubal, the Giants would get a shutdown pitcher who has won the AL Cy Young over two consecutive seasons. Skubal went 13-6 with a 2.21 ERA over 31 starts. He had 241 strikeouts (second in the majors) and 0.89 WHIP (first in the majors). His overaching metrics are off the charts, and someone the Giants could definitely use.
For context, the Giants have not had a true shutdown ace since Madison Bumgarner. When he was their ace, they won three titles, and they had often were the top of the class, which is different from the current landscape.
Skubal would challenge the Dodgers
The Giants don't have a starting pitcher who can consistently challenge the Los Angeles Dodgers. If they were to trade for Skubal, they would have an ace who could shut things down.
The one drawback is that Skubal has not fared that well in his one appearance against the Dodgers. So far, he is 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA in two starts against the boys in blue. Still, his talent as a starting pitcher could fare well in consistent battles with the Dodgers. He has also dominated Shohei Ohtani. So far, Ohtani is just 1 for 9 (.111) with just a single against the Tigers' ace. That means that Skubal has won the battle more often than not against the Japanese superstar.
If the Giants trade for Skubal, they will have a starting pitcher who can finally challenge the two-time defending World Series champs. Then, they might vault themselves into title considerations.
Skubal would give them a title chance
Skubal would give the Giants a great chance to win the World Series. While the Tigers have sputtered in the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, it was partially thanks to his efforts that they got there in the first place. Before their collapse, the Tigers were dominating the majors and winning games consistently. Skubal would give the Giants the same edge.
The Giants would look to go back to their title-winning roots by building a winner with elite starting pitching. Acquiring Skubal would put them on the right track toward making the playoffs and potentially winning their first title in over a decade. San Francisco must analyze its chances of making the playoffs, then assess which assets they could offer to get Skubal on the team.
