Best of the Yankees on WFAN: Trade for Skubal?

**Evan Roberts** (0:01)
Real quick before we get to your calls, I mentioned yesterday towards the end of the show that we will overreact to Tarik Skubal. Like if he pitches really well, I think there'll be more Yankee fans saying, ah, screw it, yes, our rotation's good, let's trade for him. And if he's mediocre, you'll go the other way. I have to admit, I'm slightly, slightly affected by the way Skubal pitched yesterday. And I'll tell you why.
It was his third start back from the IL and he has his flashes, like he didn't walk anybody, struck out nine guys. Like there are moments where he looks like Tarik Skubal, but obviously overall gave up the long ball.
The groin thing was kind of concerning when he injures himself and he turns out to be okay. And you remind yourself that you are literally, especially if you're the Yankees, more than most other teams, you are trading for him to simply make those starts in October. It's not even the starts in August and September. It's just not like, yeah, you want to win the division, it's sort of important and all that. It's a handful of starts in the fall, but it's really October. And considering he's already had injuries this year, he hasn't looked the sharpest, it was, and I'm going to phrase this, a slight hesitation for my belief that if you have a chance to go get Skubal, you go get Skubal.

**Shaun Morash** (1:11)
Yeah, I don't think you could take anything from yesterday. Now, you want to tell me you trade for him and he gets hurt again? It's a disaster. I completely agree, but I think it's just buyer beware.

**Tiki Barber** (1:18)
But he also has 12 to 15 more starts to get right.

**Shaun Morash** (1:22)
Well, yeah, but not before the deadline.

**Tiki Barber** (1:24)
Yeah, you're right. I'm talking about if you trade for him, then you have some more starts to get him back to his Siong level. He's not winning a Siong, but you know what I mean, get back to that dominant pitcher that he used to be. So if that's going to happen and you believe that that's going to happen, then it's worth trading for. But if he's going to be susceptible to the long ball like he was yesterday, then I mean, if you're the Yankees particularly, is it worth it?

**Evan Roberts** (1:49)
It's also the fact that he is coming off an injury.
He gave you that little groin scare. Like eyes wide open, if you trade for Tarik Skubal, you're trading for someone who's had an injury prone season.
Very different than last year and the year before that when he made every start and won the two Sayangs. So it's just a part of the risk that you take. Now my point about trading for Skubal has been stop saying, well, it's not needed. You can always use a great pitcher. You're the Seattle Mariners. You have good pitching. You could still use Tarik Skubal. All the Phillies have Christopher Sanchez and Zach Wheeler. You could always use great pitching. Like there's never a reason to not trade for one of the best pitchers in baseball because you think you have enough pitching. When truthfully, you never have enough pitching.

**Shaun Morash** (2:33)
No, but the problem is if you trade certain pieces that you need to acquire other guys, your flaws are going to be your flaws whether you get Skubal or not. That's all I'm saying.

**Evan Roberts** (2:41)
It is, but here's my counter to that. Ryan Jeffers. Can we use him as an example? Because he's the catcher. He's the apple of your eye.

**Shaun Morash** (2:47)
He's the hot name now.

**Evan Roberts** (2:49)
Are you really telling me that even though catching may be more of a need, Ryan Jeffers gives you a better chance to win a World Series than Tarik Skubal? Are you really saying that?

**Shaun Morash** (2:56)
You're missing the point.

**Evan Roberts** (2:58)
No, you're missing my point. I'm asking a question. Do you want to answer it or no?

**Shaun Morash** (3:00)
Of course not, but if they have a catcher that has a position that has one hit throughout an entire run of October, you're not going to go far either. Like you can't have a complete zero at the position, is my point.

**Evan Roberts** (3:12)
I would argue that having an ace-like pitcher will have a greater impact than a guy that's going to get three or four at-pats in a postseason.

**Shaun Morash** (3:18)
Yes, except for the fact that they already have three aces. And you can only pitch four guys in the postseason.