Austin Konenski
The Detroit Tigers are on the rise. Led by Tarik Skubal, the Tigers are 3.5 games out of a Wild Card spot, while sitting 6.5 games back of the lead in the AL Central. Detroit has emerged since the beginning of June after Skubal’s return from elbow surgery. However, what is the latest trade update on the two-time AL Cy Young Award winner?
Skubal does not want to be traded from the Tigers ahead of the 2026 MLB trade deadline, as reported by USA TODAY’s Bob Nightengale. The 29-year-old ace pitcher is in the final year before entering MLB free agency. Skubal has told friends that he badly wants to stay in Detroit this season, but is that the best decision for the Tigers?
Detroit has a franchise-changing decision in the coming weeks.
What the Detroit Tigers should do with Tarik Skubal ahead of MLB trade deadline
Skubal wants to stay with Detroit, as the organization pushes for a spot in the 2026 MLB postseason. The generational starting pitcher believes the Tigers can win a World Series in 2026, but the team has to make a decision soon. Would keeping Skubal for the second half of the 2026 MLB season be better than the potential return?
A potential trade package for Skubal won’t be as large as the last two MLB trade deadlines. The Tigers could have maximized Skubal’s value in 2024 or 2025, but decided to keep him for a playoff push. Now, the 29-year-old superstar is poised to enter MLB free agency, leaving Detroit in a difficult spot.
The Tigers could trade Skubal for a few good assets or lose him for nothing in MLB free agency. If Skubal wants to stay in Detroit, he could always approach the front office and ask to work out an extension. If not, the Tigers would likely be more incentivized to trade him for a couple of prospects in August.
Detroit can’t let Skubal walk for nothing like the Los Angeles Angels did with Shohei Ohtani. It would set the organization back for a little less than half of a season of Skubal. It simply isn’t worth keeping Skubal unless the organization is fully committed to aggressively buying at the 2026 MLB trade deadline.
If Skubal wants an extension or the Tigers want to aggressively buy, the ace pitcher could be here beyond the 2026 MLB trade deadline. If not, the Tigers shouldn’t waste their last opportunity to gain value from a deal involving Skubal.
