The Detroit Tigers have one massive question looming over them this offseason, and it’s not going to be long before they have to answer it.
It’s no secret that the biggest topic surrounding the team entering the winter is the status of superstar ace Tarik Skubal who enters his final season of team control. Skubal hits free agency a year from now and to this point, extension talks have gone nowhere.
As a result, Skubal has been linked in various trade talks and rumors, with some speculating Detroit could do the unthinkable and move on from the best pitcher on the planet. Though the opinion has varied on what they will do, one insider says they need to make their choice now.
ESPN’s Buster Olney quoted a conversation he had with an executive who says holding onto Skubal until the trade deadline is not going to be an option.
Tigers Must Decide On Skubal Now, Not at Trade Deadline
Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal high-fives teammates in the dugout after a pitching change during the seventh inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
“They could wait and be pretty confident they’ll get as much (in trade return) at the deadline next summer as they would now, assuming there’s no injury. He’s got that kind of impact,” an executive told Olney before the insider added some context.
“However, the great X-factor in that equation is the winnable AL Central: If the Tigers were in first or within 3-5 games of first next July, how difficult would it be to trade your ace in a pennant race? If the Tigers intend to move Skubal for value before he departs as a FA, the best time to do it is now,” Olney added.
Trading Skubal at the deadline, assuming Detroit is once again heavily involved in the race for the division by the time July rolls around, would be the kind of move fans would never forgive the organization for. It’d be at least understandable to trade him now, but if they choose to hold onto him, dealing him at the deadline becomes borderline impossible without a riot from the fanbase.
What Will Tigers Ultimately Do with Skubal?
Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal celebrates striking out Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh I the sixth inning of ALDS Game 5 at T-Mobile Park in Seattle on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025 | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
When it comes down to a decision having to be made, Detroit likely already has one made; most recent reporting has pointed to them holding onto Skubal barring some completely insane offer from a team desperate to add an ace.
Should things go sideways for the Tigers this season, they could look to move on at the deadline and ultimately at this point the return probably goes down, but for a team in the spot Detroit is currently in, it’s worth the risk.
The Tigers are a bona fide World Series contender, and if they were to win a championship next year, it’s not going to happen without Skubal. Dealing him now essentially kicks the can down the road to try to compete in the future when the reality is they are good enough with a few more pieces right now.
Time will tell what they decide to do, but holes can be poked in any direction Detroit decides to take with their superstar ace.
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