Chicago Cubs land Tarik Skubal prediction amid dreadful slide

The Chicago Cubs have now lost 10 games in a row and have fallen into last place in the NL Central as a result. It has been a catastrophic collapse for the Cubs, who put together a pair of 10-game winning streaks prior to the losing skid.

Chicago is just 2-14 over its last 16 contests and has a litany of problems. We already knew the Cubs needed help with their starting rotation, but their offense has gone completely silent, as well, which was on full display during their 12-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday evening.

Chicago appeared to be a legitimate World Series contender just a few weeks ago, but things have changed rapidly. The question is whether or not the season is actually salvageable.

Considering the Cubs still own a respectable overall record of 29-26, you would think general manager Jed Hoyer would get aggressive in trying to swing some trades to bolster the roster, but whether or not Chicago is actually able to find any answers remains to be seen.

What about Detroit Tigers star pitcher Tarik Skubal? Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer offered up a prediction on that front.

Could the Chicago Cubs trade for Tarik Skubal?

Skubal is in the final year of his contract, and the chances of him re-signing with the Tigers are slim to none.

As a result, the general expectation is that Detroit will move Skubal by the trade deadline, which could create quite the frenzy between now and Aug. 3. Will the Cubs get involved? Rymer unfortunately does not think it’s in the cards.

“A combination of injuries and poor performances has quickly turned the Cubs’ rotation into a real problem. It’s produced -0.9 rWAR, worst of any team outside of the San Francisco Giants,” Rymer wrote. “It’s too bad the Cubs don’t line up with what the Tigers would need to move Skubal. They have all of one top-100 prospect in their 25th-ranked farm system.”

Skubal has not pitched since April 29, as he underwent surgery to remove loose bodies from his left elbow. He is making incredible progress in his recovery, however, and should be back on the mound sooner than anyone anticipated.

The 29-year-old has logged a 2.70 ERA in seven starts this year and has captured back-to-back AL Cy Young awards, leading the league in ERA each of the past two campaigns.

Obviously, acquiring Skubal would comprise a massive splash for the Cubs, but they would need to sell the farm to do so, and Chicago would then have to risk losing him to free agency. So, yeah: a Skubal deal probably isn’t happening for the Cubbies.

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