Detroit Tigers starter Tarik Skubal is starting to look locked in. Just ask the Chicago White Sox.Skubal showed plenty of emotion during his start against the White Sox on Friday, so much so that he jawed with the dugout at one point. Skubal didn’t get the win, but he went 5.2 innings, giving up seven hits, three earned runs and a walk against eight strikeouts. Vintage Skubal could be incoming. That’s good news for two reasons. First, the Tigers are trying to make a desperate attempt to get back into the AL playoff race. Second, if they can’t by late July, they may need to trade him to ensure they aren’t left with nothing in return if he signs with someone else in free agency this offseason. No one in Detroit wants it. But it may come to that. There will be a line to acquire him. But this one National League could be a sneaky contender for his services. The Sneaky NL Trade Contender for SkubalAtlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale. | Dale Zanine-Imagn ImagesUSA Today’s Bob Nightengale wrote in his notes column that several executives told him that the sleeper in the trade sweepstakes is the Atlanta Braves. The Braves entered Sunday’s action 48-27 and 7.5 games ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies. Atlanta has controlled the division race from the start, but Philadelphia — after a managerial change — is starting to get some real traction and is now 41-35 after being under .500 most of the season. Atlanta hopes to be competitive with the other two division leaders in the National League, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers. But the Braves have positioned themselves to reach the World Series for the first time since 2021, when they beat the Houston Astros to claim the championship. Atlanta has a solid rotation led by former National League Cy Young winner Chris Sale. Behind him are Bryce Elder, Grant Holmes, Martin Perez and JR Ritchie. The Braves may be interested because three other starters are on the 60-day injured list — Spencer Strider, Joey Wentz and Spencer Schwellenbach. Dealing for Skubal makes sense. But the price, per Nightengale, is likely to be steep. He reported that the Tigers would be looking for at least two Top 10 prospects from Atlanta. That could include Ritchie, who is a rookie and Atlanta’s No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline. Ahead of him is another pitcher, left-hander Cam Caminiti. Atlanta has five pitchers among its Top 10 prospects, with No. 6 prospect Owen Murphy currently at Triple-A. Would the Braves pay the price? Would the Tigers listen. Only the next six weeks will tell. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow