Lincoln Zdunich
One of the biggest questions heading into this year’s Trade Deadline isn’t if Tarik Skubal will be traded. It’s which team will the Detroit Tigers‘ ace be traded to. Skubal is expected to land one of the largest free agent contracts for a starting pitcher in MLB history this offseason. With Detroit in fourth place in the American League Central (and twelfth in the entire American League), it seems increasingly likely that the Tigers will trade Skubal rather than let him walk and get nothing.
Obvious buyers have circulated the trade rumors surrounding the ace pitcher. The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees have been the most talked-about bidders alongside underdogs like the San Diego Padres. But most, if not all, of those names being thrown out have been obvious contenders come October. A pitcher of Skubal’s caliber shortens games and, in a seven-game playoff series, is infinitely valuable.
A Miraculous Turnaround From Surgery
Skubal was the obvious frontrunner to win the AL Cy Young award after winning it back-to-back in 2025 and ’26. That projection was thrown into question with the news that the southpaw would need surgery on his pitching elbow to remove a loose body. A typical timeline has a pitcher returning 2-3 months after surgery. That meant Skubal wouldn’t return until July (at the earliest), with his surgery on May 6.
Instead, Skubal will start on Saturday for the Tigers against the division-rival Cleveland Guardians. It’s a big series for Detroit, where a series win could mean a possible return to contention and a loss could be a devastating blow to playoff hopes. It’s an unprecedented return to the mound in which Skubal made just one minor league rehab start.
The Surprising Comeback Season for the White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are fresh off of the worst regular season in MLB history. In 2024, Chicago set the worst win-loss record of the modern era (since 1900), ending the season at 41-121. They were better in ’25, but still lost 100 games, going 60-102. They finished dead last in the AL Central both years.
Heading into ’26, the Sox were largely expected to improve, but stay out of the playoff picture. Their surprise signing of top international free agent Munetaka Murakami still didn’t do much to help the preseason projections. Since Opening Day, the club has done everything to top those projections. Entering play on Friday, the Sox hold first place in the AL Central and are five games over .500. Chicago also owns the third-best record in the entire American League.
Beyond that, the organization is fourth across MLB in home runs (91), sixth in slugging percentage (.412) and OPS (.739) and seventh in on-base percentage (.327). Their players have also flashed star potential. Murakami led the league in home runs before hitting the injured list. He looks every bit the star he was hoped to be. Colson Montgomery and Miguel Vargas look incredible, combining for 32 homers. Second baseman Chase Meidroth leads the team in batting average (.273) and is making a campaign for his first All-Star game selection.
A Struggling Chicago Pitching Staff
The Sox’s starting rotation owns a lousy 4.67 ERA. They’ve been buoyed by burgeoning ace Davis Martin (2.41 ERA, 78.1 IP). Martin has legitimately been making a run to win the AL Cy Young award this season. But the best qualified starter behind that (60-plus IP) has been Sean Burke. Burke has posted a 3.88 ERA across 69 2/3 innings pitched. Their bullpen hasn’t been much better, owning a 4.29 ERA and 1.34 WHIP. That ranks the White Sox at 17th across MLB in both statistical categories.
That said, if Chicago continues to trend in this direction as a club, they could legitimately make the postseason. But their lousy pitching could cost them in a short playoff series without their fantastic offense showing up. The Sox certainly own the prospect capital to bolster their starting pitching at the Trade Deadline. Plenty of names have flown around. Sandy Alcantara with the Miami Marlins and Joe Ryan of the Minnesota Twins are two big names who could be shipped off for cheaper than Skubal. But neither has the ability to shorten a series the way that the southpaw can.
Could Skubal End Up With Chicago?
It’s definitely possible that Skubal pitches for the South Siders this postseason. The likelihood is certainly low, and Chicago would need to be willing to give up a major prospect haul in the hope of a deep playoff run. The organization is surprisingly poised to make the postseason, but the Sox would need to keep this going long enough to make such a big move worthwhile. Otherwise, Chicago could end up losing plenty of high-level prospects for little to no reason.
The haul for Skubal would likely require four-plus prospects for Detroit to be willing to part with the left-hander. That said, all of this hinges on the Tigers being out of the playoff picture a month from now. A lot could change between now and then, meaning the bidding for Skubal’s services may not start until after the 2026 season concludes.
Still, the thought is tantalizing. The South Siders could certainly use a boost to their starting rotation. Whether that’s Skubal or not depends on a multitude of factors. But, if the southpaw does join Chicago on a playoff run, it would certainly be a sight to see.
