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The rumors are loud. The potential trade packages are getting louder. Rival executives reportedly believe the Detroit Tigers could move Tarik Skubal before the Aug. 3 deadline, and every dominant start seems to create another round of speculation.
My prediction?
When the deadline passes, Skubal will still be wearing the Old English D.
Not because the Tigers are guaranteed to reject every call. Scott Harris should listen. That is part of the job when contenders are desperate, and the player involved is one of the best pitchers on the planet.
Listening and trading are two very different things.
Detroit entered Sunday at 50-55, sitting 5 games out of first place in the American League Central and 3.5 games from a wild-card position. The record is mediocre, but the standings are compressed enough to keep the Tigers alive. Their plus-29 run differential also suggests they have played better baseball than the win-loss total shows.
That matters.
This is not a team buried 12 games out with no realistic path back. The Tigers have played improved baseball since the start of July, and Skubal just gave them 7⅓ innings with 12 strikeouts in a 2-1 win over Kansas City.
How does Detroit trade that pitcher and then look its clubhouse in the eye?
How does Harris explain to Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter, Colt Keith and the rest of the roster that the Tigers still expect to chase October after removing the player most capable of carrying them there?
He cannot, at least not convincingly.
There is a version of this story in which Skubal gets traded.
It would require a contender to lose its mind.
Reports indicate the Tigers would want a young, MLB-ready starting pitcher as part of any return, not simply a collection of lower-level prospects. Detroit is reportedly considering deals that could help the franchise beyond 2026 without completely wrecking its chances this season.
That is a difficult package to build.
Contenders are willing to trade prospects. They become far more hesitant when asked to surrender affordable young players who are already contributing in the majors. Those are precisely the players Detroit should demand.
A top-50 prospect would not be enough. Neither would a three-player bundle built around teenagers with exciting scouting reports.
Skubal is not a lottery ticket. He is a back-to-back Cy Young Award winner pitching at the top of his game.
The Tigers should require a franchise-altering return, the kind that makes people across baseball gasp when the notification appears. Anything short of that leaves Detroit weaker now and uncertain later.
Baseball front offices love to talk about value, years of control and asset management.
Those things matter.
So does winning.
Skubal gives Detroit something almost no other team possesses: a true ace who can walk into a postseason series and tilt the matchup before the first pitch. He misses bats, controls games deep into the evening and rarely seems rattled by the noise surrounding him.
Against Kansas City, Skubal allowed one run on four hits and struck out 12. Afterward, he pushed back against reports about his future and said there was “a lot of misinformation” circulating around the situation.
That does not guarantee he will remain in Detroit. It does suggest the public story may be running ahead of the private reality.
The easiest thing to do during deadline season is assume every rumor points toward an inevitable trade. Most of the time, it does not.
There are three reasons I expect Skubal to remain with Detroit.
First, the Tigers are close enough to the playoff race that trading him would poison any attempt to present themselves as contenders.
Second, the asking price should be so steep that interested teams eventually turn toward cheaper alternatives.
Third, Harris has more time.
Skubal’s future does not have to be settled by this deadline. Detroit can continue exploring a long-term agreement, reassess during the offseason or revisit its options later. The Tigers do not need to make the biggest decision of Harris’ tenure simply because the calendar creates pressure.
Sometimes the smartest deadline move is refusing to make the dramatic one.
If Skubal does move, the Los Angeles Dodgers remain the most logical destination.
They have the resources, prospect depth, championship expectations and appetite for stars. Tampa Bay, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Atlanta and the Chicago Cubs also make sense as interested clubs, though not every organization has the young talent needed to satisfy Detroit.
Even the Dodgers would have to offer something painful.
Detroit should not trade Skubal because another team presents a respectable package. The offer must be overwhelming.
That distinction is why I expect the talks to fall apart.
Plenty of teams will want him. Very few will be willing to pay the price required to get him.
Tarik Skubal will take the mound for the Detroit Tigers after Aug. 3.
There will be anxious moments. National reporters will connect him to nearly every serious contender. Rival executives will continue predicting that Harris is ready to make a blockbuster deal.
Then the deadline will arrive, the price will remain too high, and Detroit will keep its ace.
That is the right outcome.
The Tigers have spent too many years asking fans to wait for the future. At some point, a franchise has to protect the elite players it already developed and try to win with them.
Skubal is not the obstacle to Detroit’s next great team.
He should be the centerpiece of it.
My prediction is that Tarik Skubal remains with the Detroit Tigers through the 2026 trade deadline.
A breathtaking offer could change the conversation, but anything less would leave Detroit weaker, anger the fan base and send a surrender message to the clubhouse. Harris should listen to every proposal.
Then he should say no.
Continue reading...
My prediction?
When the deadline passes, Skubal will still be wearing the Old English D.
Not because the Tigers are guaranteed to reject every call. Scott Harris should listen. That is part of the job when contenders are desperate, and the player involved is one of the best pitchers on the planet.
Listening and trading are two very different things.
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The Tigers Are Too Close to Justify Selling Skubal
Detroit entered Sunday at 50-55, sitting 5 games out of first place in the American League Central and 3.5 games from a wild-card position. The record is mediocre, but the standings are compressed enough to keep the Tigers alive. Their plus-29 run differential also suggests they have played better baseball than the win-loss total shows.
That matters.
This is not a team buried 12 games out with no realistic path back. The Tigers have played improved baseball since the start of July, and Skubal just gave them 7⅓ innings with 12 strikeouts in a 2-1 win over Kansas City.
How does Detroit trade that pitcher and then look its clubhouse in the eye?
How does Harris explain to Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter, Colt Keith and the rest of the roster that the Tigers still expect to chase October after removing the player most capable of carrying them there?
He cannot, at least not convincingly.
Detroit’s Asking Price Should Be Enormous
There is a version of this story in which Skubal gets traded.
It would require a contender to lose its mind.
Reports indicate the Tigers would want a young, MLB-ready starting pitcher as part of any return, not simply a collection of lower-level prospects. Detroit is reportedly considering deals that could help the franchise beyond 2026 without completely wrecking its chances this season.
That is a difficult package to build.
Contenders are willing to trade prospects. They become far more hesitant when asked to surrender affordable young players who are already contributing in the majors. Those are precisely the players Detroit should demand.
A top-50 prospect would not be enough. Neither would a three-player bundle built around teenagers with exciting scouting reports.
Skubal is not a lottery ticket. He is a back-to-back Cy Young Award winner pitching at the top of his game.
The Tigers should require a franchise-altering return, the kind that makes people across baseball gasp when the notification appears. Anything short of that leaves Detroit weaker now and uncertain later.
You must be registered for see images attach
The Tigers Cannot Replace What Skubal Provides
Baseball front offices love to talk about value, years of control and asset management.
Those things matter.
So does winning.
Skubal gives Detroit something almost no other team possesses: a true ace who can walk into a postseason series and tilt the matchup before the first pitch. He misses bats, controls games deep into the evening and rarely seems rattled by the noise surrounding him.
Against Kansas City, Skubal allowed one run on four hits and struck out 12. Afterward, he pushed back against reports about his future and said there was “a lot of misinformation” circulating around the situation.
That does not guarantee he will remain in Detroit. It does suggest the public story may be running ahead of the private reality.
The easiest thing to do during deadline season is assume every rumor points toward an inevitable trade. Most of the time, it does not.
Why the Tigers Will Hold Their Ace
There are three reasons I expect Skubal to remain with Detroit.
First, the Tigers are close enough to the playoff race that trading him would poison any attempt to present themselves as contenders.
Second, the asking price should be so steep that interested teams eventually turn toward cheaper alternatives.
Third, Harris has more time.
Skubal’s future does not have to be settled by this deadline. Detroit can continue exploring a long-term agreement, reassess during the offseason or revisit its options later. The Tigers do not need to make the biggest decision of Harris’ tenure simply because the calendar creates pressure.
Sometimes the smartest deadline move is refusing to make the dramatic one.
Could the Dodgers Make Detroit Reconsider?
If Skubal does move, the Los Angeles Dodgers remain the most logical destination.
They have the resources, prospect depth, championship expectations and appetite for stars. Tampa Bay, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Atlanta and the Chicago Cubs also make sense as interested clubs, though not every organization has the young talent needed to satisfy Detroit.
Even the Dodgers would have to offer something painful.
Detroit should not trade Skubal because another team presents a respectable package. The offer must be overwhelming.
That distinction is why I expect the talks to fall apart.
Plenty of teams will want him. Very few will be willing to pay the price required to get him.
The Prediction
Tarik Skubal will take the mound for the Detroit Tigers after Aug. 3.
There will be anxious moments. National reporters will connect him to nearly every serious contender. Rival executives will continue predicting that Harris is ready to make a blockbuster deal.
Then the deadline will arrive, the price will remain too high, and Detroit will keep its ace.
That is the right outcome.
The Tigers have spent too many years asking fans to wait for the future. At some point, a franchise has to protect the elite players it already developed and try to win with them.
Skubal is not the obstacle to Detroit’s next great team.
He should be the centerpiece of it.
Bottom Line
My prediction is that Tarik Skubal remains with the Detroit Tigers through the 2026 trade deadline.
A breathtaking offer could change the conversation, but anything less would leave Detroit weaker, anger the fan base and send a surrender message to the clubhouse. Harris should listen to every proposal.
Then he should say no.
Continue reading...
