There is reportedly some belief within Major League Baseball that the Detroit Tigers have little choice other than to trade ace starting pitcher Tarik Skubal.
One source, when asked by ESPN’s Jeff Passan about whether they thought the Tigers would trade Skubal, responded, “They have to.”
Skubal is still under contract for one more season, but he can become a free agent at the conclusion of the 2026 campaign. If the Tigers don’t trade or extend him before then, they risk losing him for nothing.
Passan noted that while rumors of Skubal and the Tigers being $250 million apart in contract talks are inaccurate, “the chasm between the parties is wide.”
Skubal, who turns 29 on Thursday, is coming off back-to-back American League Cy Young Award wins, making him arguably the best pitcher in baseball.
The two-time All-Star won the pitching Triple Crown in 2024, going 18-4 with a 2.39 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 228 strikeouts over 192 innings. He followed that up by winning another ERA title last season at 2.21 to go along with a 13-6 record, 0.89 WHIP and 241 strikeouts over 195.1 innings.
With the dominant lefty leading the way, the Tigers have made two consecutive playoff appearances, and they were just one victory away from the American League Championship Series in both 2024 and 2025.
Perhaps no pitcher has been more important to their team’s success over the past two seasons, which is why it would be understandable for the Tigers to be hesitant about trading Skubal.
If they move him this offseason, the Tigers could conceivably go from being one of the top teams in the AL to a non-playoff team.
However, it would be even more devastating to lose Skubal for nothing, especially since he could land the Tigers a franchise-altering haul of players and prospects in a potential deal.
While there are several excellent players available in free agency, Skubal and his status will likely be the biggest storyline of the MLB offseason, and perhaps all the way up to the 2026 trade deadline if the Tigers don’t deal him before then.