*PREDICTION*
The Detroit Tigers have become one of the most talked about teams at the winter meetings when Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris stated, “I don’t believe in untouchable players at any level”. The untouchable player he is talking about is back-to-back Cy Young winner and the unanimous best pitcher in the world, Tarik Skubal.
With that said. Tarik Skubal is definitely on the table for anyone to trade for, for the right price. It’s hard to believe that any team would be willing to trade away the best pitcher in baseball, who is 31-10 the last two seasons, would make your team better. Especially after the Dodgers just proved how important it is to have elite starting pitching.
One team that understands how important starting pitching is and has had some of the best pitching in the game is the Seattle Mariners.
Who has one of the best farm systems with the most players in the top 100? The Seattle Mariners. That is why the Detroit Tigers will trade Tarik Skubal to the Seattle Mariners.
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Tarik Skubal has been the best pitcher in baseball the last two seasons, and the Detroit Tigers have him under team control for the 2026 season. After 2026, Skubal will enter free agency and should sign the highest-ever deal for a starting pitcher.
The Detroit Tigers, from all accounts, don’t want to be the team to set that new deal. The Tigers are keeping their ears open for all trade ideas for Skubal if it were to reach that point.
A team that has valued pitching the past decade has been the Seattle Mariners. They have been riding their starting pitchers to the playoffs for a while now and were always missing the offense until Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodriguez showed up.
The Mariners would be the perfect partner to trade with the Tigers. The Mariners still have Raleigh and Rodriguez on team-friendly deals for the foreseeable future and have the room to pay Skubal the amount he truly deserves.
The Mariners also have a plethora of young talent in their minor league system that they can use to trade for Skubal. A trade for Skubal will be a massive haul that the Mariners have in their budget, with seven players ranked in the top 100 according to MLB.com.
The most of any team in baseball. The Mariners would have to give up a lot of their top guys and maybe a player already in the majors to get Skubal, but it would be worth it.
Their starting rotation could now consist of some combination of Tarik Skubal, Luis Castillo, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryan Woo, and Bryce Miller.
That is six fantastic starting pitchers, and only one is above the age of 30, that being Castillo. The depth they would have for the regular season and postseason would create freshness in their pitchers and give them relief in case of an injury.
What Would Tarik Skubal Cost?
A trade for a back-to-back Cy Young winner should and would cost the Mariners a lot. Possibly including one of those starting pitchers listed before.
Their top three prospects will have to be involved in the deal as well. Shortstop Colt Emerson (ranked 9th), pitcher Kade Anderson (23rd), and outfielder Laxaro Montes (29th) would all more than likely be involved in the return package.
Those three, along with Bryce Miller, who had a down year, may do it. Cash considerations could be considered to get it over the hill.
Either way, the Mariners should get this deal done now and sign Skubal to a long-term extension. The Tigers should have no problem adding a starting pitcher and young talent to keep them competitive in the AL Central for years to come. That is why the Seattle Mariners will trade for Tarik Skubal.