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MLB rumors: Tigers possibly trading Tarik Skubal draws intriguing take from insider
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- MLB rumors: Tigers possibly trading Tarik Skubal draws intriguing take from insider
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The rapidly descending Detroit Tigers (20-31) have now dropped six in a row following Thursday's 3-1 loss to the Cleveland Guardians . All of those defeats have come in Comerica Park, and the team scored 10 runs during that span. Yikes. AJ Hinch's ballclub has lost 14 of its last 16 overall and sits nine and a half games out of first place in the American League Central. Double Yikes. Although it is still only May, this organization is already nearing an inflection point.
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Will the Tigers trade Tarik Skubal before the Aug. 3 deadline? An MLB Network insider and longtime New York Post columnist believes Detroit can take advantage of a ripe market if it so chooses.
"I do think the Tigers have to decide in this period what to do with Skubal," Joel Sherman said on "MLB Now." "If the Tigers get well, I assume they just go for it. They haven't won a World Series since 1984, {so} they would build this year to go for it.
"We just showed the Braves with the best record in the NL, would you like to play them in the playoffs with Skubal and {Chris Sale}? Would you like to play Milwaukee with { Jacob Misiorowski } and Skubal and {Kyle Harrison}? Would you like to play Tampa Bay with { Shane McClanahan } and Skubal? In other words, they'll have a bidding market for this, and they could get a good return and turn something bad this season into something good."
The Tigers are in a truly uncomfortable position heading into Memorial Day weekend. Following consecutive AL Division Series appearances, both of which resulted in Game 5 defeats, they believed they were equipped to contend for a pennant in 2026. The early results are frightening, but that sentence applies to most of the AL.
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Despite all its troubles, Detroit is only five games short of the third and final Wild Card slot. Only two teams in this race are currently above .500. A healthy Tarik Skubal could be a massive game-changer.
The two-time reigning Cy Young Award winner underwent NanoScope surgery to remove loose bodies in his left elbow in early May, but he is already ahead of schedule in his recovery. If he continues to progress, Skubal should return in June. His first few starts back could determine what the Tigers decide to do by the trade deadline.
A resurgence might give president of baseball operations Scott Harris some pause, but if Detroit is still buried in the standings, the executive may be forced to maximize the dominant southpaw's value. Re-signing Skubal to a historic contract seems unlikely. Unless the franchise and fan base have a chance to secure October bliss, then a midseason breakup is the most practical route to take.
Like Joel Sherman alluded to, MLB's upper-echelon will be closely monitoring this situation.
Related: MLB rumors: Rays could acquire Tarik Skubal if Tigers trade him before deadline
Related: Tigers news: Paul DeJong to miss entire 2026 season after crushing injury news
