2 trade rumors Tigers hope come true and 1 they hope doesn't happen

The Detroit Tigers have found themselves at the center of plenty of trade rumors this deadline season, specifically involving their one-two punch of Tarik Skubal and Jack Flaherty in their starting rotation.

Yet, the Tigers can't be classified as true sellers – not as they see it, anyway. They may not be making any noise in the playoffs this year, but they still believe they have a window to compete in the next few years. This mindset would theoretically characterize a young, controllable ace like Skubal as untouchable – but hey, sometimes you get an offer that's just too good to pass up.

As the trade rumors continue to swirl around the Tigers, some are admittedly intriguing. Others, however, have us slightly panicked.

2 Tigers trade rumors that would be excellent, 1 that would be less than ideal

Love This Rumor: Jack Flaherty to the Dodgers

Right-hander Jack Flaherty is on an expiring deal, theoretically making him a more cost-effective option than Skubal for a contending team in win-now mode. That said, he is far and away the top rental starter on the market, so the Tigers shouldn't let him go for nothing.

The Los Angeles Dodgers would be an ideal trade partner for Detroit here, as they want to win a World Series right now, and they are desperate for starting pitching. The Tigers would probably prefer Tigers catching prospect Dalton Rushing to be part of a trade package, but it's possible that Los Angeles would shy away from trading Rushing for a rental and counter with Diego Cartaya.

Either way, the Tigers could use a solid catching prospect to balance out Dillon Dingler in their tandem of the future. Toss in another Dodgers pitching prospect or two – and maybe even some cash to help pay off the disastrous Javy Báez contract – and this would be a great deal for Detroit.

Love This Rumor: Mark Canha to an NL contender (with no salary retention for Detroit)

Veteran outfielder Mark Canha is not a superstar by any stretch, but he's the kind of bargain depth pickup that contenders will be looking to add as they make a playoff push. If they get a good enough offer, the Tigers should absolutely move him at the deadline.

MLB insider Jeff Passan reported that Canha has a "robust" market, and MLB Trade Rumors listed the St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals and San Diego Padres, among others, as potential trade suitors who could have interest in Canha as a pending free agent.

Canha still has around $4 million of this year's salary yet to be paid out, and potential trade partner might not want to pay such a hefty sum for a 35-year-old platoon option. Detroit covering some of Canha's remaining salary is always an option, but in a perfect world, they get the whole thing off the books and, in some other endeavors, look to add for 2025 and beyond.

Hate This Rumor: Tarik Skubal to the Dodgers (or anyone, really)

The Tigers' asking price for Skubal will be high, and the only team with a realistic chance of even coming close to meeting that price would be the deep-pocketed Dodgers. Needless to say, Skubal is at the top of Los Angeles' wish list. He is exactly the kind of bonafide ace any contender would want anchoring their starting rotation.

But while trading Flaherty, for example, would only impact the Tigers in the current season, trading Skubal would set the entire franchise timeline back for years to come. Just because Skubal has excellent trade value doesn't mean that selling him to the highest bidder is the only option.

With Skubal in their starting rotation, the Tigers have a foreseeable window for contention. They have some key core players already in place, including All-Star outfielder Riley Greene, second baseman Colt Keith, and starting pitcher Reese Olson. Trading their ace would effectively cause that window to slam shut for several more years.

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