Tigers had one fear with Tarik Skubal sweepstakes that led to a rushed trade

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Tigers had one fear with Tarik Skubal sweepstakes that led to a rushed trade originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Detroit Tigers' decision to trade away Tarik Skubal at the 2026 MLB trade deadline was not a surprise at all, considering the circumstances.

But the story behind the trade is still unraveling. One of the key talking points for the Tigers with Skubal was about the timing of the trade, occurring on Saturday, days before the Monday deadline.

ESPN's Jeff Passan revealed that the Tigers had one fear as a reason why they made this trade when they did. That fear? It was all about the potential collapse of Skubal's market if the top teams moved on to controllable pitchers.

Tigers fear with Tarik Skubal trade led to a rushed deal​

"The Tigers knew they were primed to land a haul of talent for what amounted to 10 regular season stars by Skubal and, best-case scenario, five more in the postseason -- and they feared if they waited too long, their best options could opt for a pitcher like Kirby with multiple years of control and potentially collapse the market," Passan writes.

While Skubal was clearly the best pitcher available at this year's trade deadline, he is only a rental and will hit free agency after the 2026 season comes to a close.

Jose Soriano and Reid Detmers of the Los Angeles Angels, along with George Kirby and Emerson Hancock of the Seattle Mariners, were all available for trade according to multiple reports ahead of the deadline.

MORE:Tigers receive lousy grade for Tarik Skubal trade to Dodgers from ESPN

Those four controllable starters, plus any others that were to emerge as trade targets, could've led the Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Tampa Bay Rays, or any other interested club to pass on the rental in Skubal for a controllable arm.

Of course, there would be a talent drop-off for the 2026 season, but having one of those pitchers under control beyond the 2026 season is very appealing.

So, with that fear in mind, the Tigers and Scott Harris were ready to rush a trade to the finish line to avoid a suitor for Skubal to pivot to a controllable starting pitcher.

While the three-prospect return of Zyhir Hope, River Ryan, and Brady Smith didn't receive overwhelming praise, the Tigers did land a solid haul for Skubal and didn't miss out on a deal thanks to some of those controllable starters being more appealing targets.

More MLB news:​

• Cubs land Kevin Gausman in blockbuster trade with Blue Jays
• Red Sox expected to trade Jarren Duran during offseason, not MLB trade deadline
• What did Mets get for Freddy Peralta? Rays send three prospects for 4.99 ERA SP
• How Cubs inadvertently helped Dodgers trade for Tarik Skubal
• Royals DFA former Phillies All-Star reliever Matt Strahm after trade deadline

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