Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal has been at the heart of trade discussions since the conclusion of the 2025 season.
He had another strong season, finishing with a 13-6 record, a 2.21 ERA, and 241 strikeouts. Skubal has won the American League Cy Young Award for two consecutive years, positioning him as one of the organization’s standout pitchers in history.
However, his future with the Tigers remains unclear as trade talks persist. Teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox have emerged as potential candidates to acquire him.
Scott Harris, the Tigers’ director of baseball operations, fueled these rumors during his appearance on MLB Network at the winter meetings in Orlando, Florida. He noted, “I don’t believe in untouchable players at any level. This is not a commentary on Tariq. It’s a comprehensive approach to building a winning organization. My job is to make this organization better…which means we have to listen at every opportunity, whether it’s actually unlikely to happen or not. I have to listen because we have to improve as an organization. That’s our approach.”
It raises a question: why would the Tigers consider trading Skubal after his impressive season? Well, he has just one year remaining before he hits free agency. He could command a hefty contract that might reach into the hundreds of millions. If the Tigers decide to trade him this offseason or prior to the 2026 trade deadline, they might secure a valuable prospect for their future.
Harris refrained from speculating about specific players being traded but emphasized that Skubal is a significant part of the team’s current plans.
This past season, Detroit managed to edge past the Cleveland Guardians, finishing the American League Wild Card Series with an 87-75 record, but they were ultimately defeated by the Seattle Mariners in the AL Division Series, which went to five games.
