With the Major League Baseball offseason well underway, there is plenty of speculation circulating about free agents, where they will go, and for how much. While the Detroit Tigers have more than enough on their plate with free agents in 2025, there is one player whose future with the team is wildly up for debate despite him being under their control for one more season, pitching ace Tarik Skubal.

Skubal has been nothing short of miraculous in his time with the majors, especially as of late, after winning back-to-back Cy Young Awards. So, why would management even consider getting rid of him?

Well, the time for them to do it would be now as they will lose him as soon as the final inning of baseball is played next season. His stock price is about as high as it could be, which means the return for him would be unfathomable.

However, it doesn’t matter. Skubal is on track for eventual Hall of Fame induction and will be the face of any organization he is part of, which should be the team that started his career. The trade talks need to cease, especially since he has vocally expressed that he doesn’t want to leave.

Skubal Since Making His Debut in 2020

If any player has ever proven what it means to take advantage of an opportunity, it’s Skubal. He was a Division I college kid straight out of high school who pitched his way into the draft, where he was selected in the ninth round. Now, he is arguably the most dominant pitcher that the game has seen in the last two seasons.

Note* These stats are averages looking at his two Cy Young seasons.

2.30 ERA0.91 WHIP.201 Opponent’s Batting Average235 Strikeouts16 Wins

It is hard to even picture how big a contract Skubal is going to warrant in order to have him on the roster when free agency hits, but the Tigers are willing to spend money, which is why they have four players in 2026 who will earn more than $20M for the season.

This offseason is going to make quite a difference for every single team, but especially the Tigers. If they rightfully decide to keep him on the team, then the moves made with other free agents will definitely look different. If Skubal wants to stay, then stay he should.

“It’s not like I want to be traded, so it’s kind of like, why am I being traded? Why am I in these conversations? But I try to just stay out of it, that’s always how I’ve handled in years past.”

Tarik Skubal on the trade rumors pic.twitter.com/uIZhewycjG

— Calico Joe (@CalicoJoeMLB) November 20, 2025More Tigers News