Tigers’ Tarik Skubal gets ‘not great’ trade rumor from MLB insider originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Detroit Tigers have been entertaining trade offers for Tarik Skubal this offseason in what could wind up being one of the biggest blockbuster trades in recent MLB history.

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With the two-time Cy Young Award winner available for trade, it’s not a surprise that trade rumors and updates have been steadily coming out this offseason.

But what are the changes he’s actually traded? MLB insider Jon Heyman on MLB Network was asked this question, and in response, he revealed the “not great” update for teams around the league hoping to land Skubal in a deal this offseason.

Tigers’ Tarik Skubal gets ‘not great’ trade update

“Not great,” Heyman said. “… I mean, the price is high… there’s a lot of incentive to keep him. This isn’t a rebuilding team. I would say that the odds remain slim that Skubal is going anywhere.”

The odds of Skubal being dealt this offseason are not high. Heyman doesn’t believe it will happen based on this answer. While he’s not completely shutting it down, as the Tigers haven’t taken him off the trade block, he isn’t changing his stance on the odds being slim.

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Moving on from Skubal will cost a team a fortune. Even though it would be a one-year rental, Skubal is one of the best pitchers in baseball, and coming off back-to-back Cy Young seasons.

He had an AL-best 2.21 ERA last year, and the year prior, he had a 2.39 ERA, also the best in the AL, to go with 18 wins in a season for the ages.

More: Tigers’ Tarik Skubal gets $32 million contract update from ESPN’s Jeff Passan

Trading a player like Skubal will be a massive undertaking, as the acquiring team will have to give up a ton, and the Tigers will need a lot back, and a plan, to justify the move to its fans.

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Skubal trade rumors won’t stop this offseason, and into the regular season, until Scott Harris takes Skubal’s name off the trade block entirely.

But if they struggle in the first half of 2026, they could move on from Skubal in a blockbuster deadline deal for a very strong return from a contender.

While a deal involving Skubal is still within the realm of possibilities this year, Heyman is plainly stating that the odds of such a trade are “not great.” It would be interesting, but barring a major shift in cost, Skubal will likely stay with Detroit for 2026.

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