ESPN’s Jeff Passan on Chances the Tigers Trade or Re-Sign Tarik Skubal | The Rich Eisen Show

What what about Scooble? I uh I know you know the Tigers would love to resign him and you’re hearing money that’s definitely usually not very Tiger-like. What What about that? How how does that loom over anything, Jeff? Not only would the Tigers like to resign TKO, TKO would like to stay in Detroit, too. He really likes it there. He loves AJ Hinch. Chris Federer and Robin Lund, the pitching coaches there are excellent and and they’re the organization that not only took a chance on him but helped him turn into the best pitcher in the world. And yet TK’s a free agent after this season in 2026 and he is going to command as long as he stays healthy more money than any pitcher in baseball history. Right now, the number is $325 million for Yoshino Yamamoto. Scooble is primed to absolutely smash that. And if he’s not going to agree to a long-term contract with the Tigers, and generally speaking, Scott Boris clients don’t sign extensions, especially this close to free agency. There are exceptions, but by and large, that’s the case. If you’re the Tigers, you have to ask yourself the question, if we’re losing him at the end of this season, and all we’re going to get out of it is a draft pick, then is it worth it potentially to consider trading him? Now, where the Tigers are at in their aspirations both in 2026 and going forward, it makes sense for them to move him. And yet trading a guy of that ilk is a really really hard thing to do. As much sense as it might make from a long-term perspective, there are psychological elements that are involved with the fan base and with the organization and with the players in your clubhouse where it’s like if we’re going to move this guy, then what are we doing? What’s the point? This is the person around whom you build to go and win World Series. And you’re telling me that we’re going to get rid of him a after two consecutive years of postseason appearances? It seems like a a silly thing to do. It seems like a frivolous thing to do. And and that’s the that’s the issue right now in Major League Baseball. It’s how many teams, Rich, if they were in this similar position, would have the same thoughts that the Tigers are having right now. And the number, frankly, it’s too high. It’s unfortunate. And and that’s why there’s so much consternation among fans when it comes to the economic system in Major League Baseball. If you feel like the best thing for you to do, and not only if you feel like that, but if numbers and models tell you that the best thing for you to do is to get rid of the star player that you drafted, that you developed, that you helped turn into this monster that he is right now. What does that say about the sport? Yeah. And then, uh, this will be for another time. Um, why make a deal if you’re schoolable or the Tigers if the collective bargain agreement’s elapsing and the rules can be completely changed and you have no idea how this contract fits into the future of the sport? It’s that’s a fair thing. I mean, I’m just operating rich under the idea that the economic system is not going to change demonstrably to the point that it would have any ill effect on the future of the Tigers. But perhaps I’m just operating that way because I’m trying to be optimistic amid the labor strife that’s happening right now. And and that’s going to be the story uh of the 2026 season because the collective bargaining agreement is up December 1st, 2026. Uh everybody in the industry is anticipating a lockout. A lockout in and of itself, not a great thing, not a terrible thing. It’s when a lockout starts bleeding into the next year and games are potentially missed that it turns tremendously problematic. We haven’t seen games missed in Major League Baseball, Rich, in 30 plus years at this point. And as somebody who adores the game, I’m hoping that we don’t see that streak ended. Certainly off of World Series that everybody is talking about and everybody watched in two different countries or three obviously include Japan. Uh, Jeff, great. 50 million plus people, man. Like, isn’t that amazing? Those are real numbers and those are really impressive. Hey, you made it all the way to the end. Thanks for that. Check us out every single day streaming live on Disney Plus and the ESPN app 12 to 3 Eastern.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan tells Rich Eisen if the Detroit Tigers are more likely to trade or re-sign 2024 Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal.

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6 comments

  3. You can't complain about the player you drafted and developed leaving the team after offering a Cy Young Award winner only $80 million over four years.

  4. Listen, would you spend 400 million on one pitcher, or spend that on multiple pieces? As a Tigers fan, I understand how dominate he is. I just dont see them paying him.

  6. So Skubal wants 300 + million to play every 5th day, and at that maybe 6 or 7 innings. Seems a bit much. If I were the owner I would trade him. I'm not paying a part time player that ridiculous amount of money. Baseball needs a salary cap like football. Of course the Dodgers and Yankee types who buy their way to winning team's would not agree.

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