Buckle up, baseball fans—this one’s a scorcher! The Baseball Writers’ Association of America just unveiled the finalists for the American League Cy Young Award, and it’s a showdown for the ages. Defending champ Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers is back in the mix, facing off against fellow lefty phenom Garrett Crochet, who exploded onto the scene in 2025 with the Boston Red Sox. Their stats? Practically twins—both dominating the mound like absolute bosses. Rounding out the trio is Houston Astros righty Hunter Brown, who turned heads with a sizzling 2.43 ERA and a whopping 266 strikeouts in 185 1/3 innings. But let’s be real: Skubal and Crochet are the runaway favorites, with the winner dropping on November 12.
Now, imagine this wild twist—what if these two Cy Young juggernauts teamed up in 2026? Sounds like a fantasy league fever dream, right? Well, ESPN’s veteran insider Buster Olney just lit the fuse on Wednesday, reporting that the Tigers might actually shop Skubal this offseason. And guess who’s primed to swoop in? The Boston Red Sox, baby! Olney says Boston is “well positioned” to trigger a bidding war for the $18 million ace, who’s set to hit free agency after next season.
“Other teams believe the Tigers will seriously consider moving him if they can glean what they want in a trade—and there is every reason to expect a significant bidding war for Skubal,” Olney penned. The kicker? Skubal reportedly has zero interest in inking a long-term deal with Detroit before testing the market. That leaves the Tigers in a tough spot: trade him now or watch their lifetime 3.08 ERA stud walk away for zilch, save for a measly compensatory draft pick.
For Detroit, flipping Skubal could supercharge their already stacked farm system—ranked No. 5 league-wide by Bleacher Report at season’s end. They’ve got gems like shortstop Kevin McGonigle (baseball’s No. 2 overall prospect) and speed demon outfielder Max Clark (No. 8). A haul from Boston could turn them into a dynasty-in-waiting.
And oh boy, are the Red Sox loaded for this hunt. Remember how they snagged Crochet from the Chicago White Sox last offseason? Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow coughed up four top prospects, including catcher Kyle Teel (then No. 4 in the system) and fresh first-rounder Braden Montgomery. If Skubal demands a similar bounty—say, three top-20 prospects plus a first-round pick—Boston’s got the ammo.
Leading the charge could be their 2025 first-rounder, No. 15 overall pick Kyson Witherspoon. This 21-year-old Oklahoma fireballer clocks in at 99 mph and already ranks No. 4 in Boston’s system per MLB Pipeline. To sweeten the pot, they might toss in No. 3 prospect Jhostynxon Garcia, a slugging outfielder with serious pop.
Don’t stop there—echoing the Crochet deal’s inclusion of then-No. 8 pitcher Wikelman Gonzalez, Boston could dangle current No. 10 David Sandlin. The 24-year-old righty, another Sooner standout, came over in a 2024 swap for reliever John Schreiber.
Capping off the package? No. 15 prospect Miguel Bleis, a five-tool wizard from the Dominican Republic. Signed in 2021 for a cool $1.5 million bonus—the biggest in Boston’s international class that year—this outfielder screams upside.
If this blockbuster goes down, the Red Sox would boast the most terrifying 1-2 punch in MLB: Skubal and Crochet anchoring the rotation. Suddenly, Boston vaults to World Series frontrunner status for 2026. Holy smokes, indeed—could this be the move that brings another banner to Fenway? Stay tuned, folks; the hot stove is just heating up!