Any Tarik Skubal trade should have Tigers angling far beyond Garrett Crochet price

A possible trade of Tarik Skubal away from Detroit might become the biggest will-they won't-they of this year's trade deadline. When Tigers-related rumors started to crop up in June, they were harmless enough — including names like Jack Flaherty, Mark Canha, and Gio Urshela, all of whom make a lot of sense as trade candidates.

Flaherty especially is having a banner year and, most importantly, all three are in walk years. They're playing well enough or have good enough track records to net a prospect or two for a Detroit team that's been disappointing but is by no means sinking.

Skubal, on the other hand, won't be a free agent until the end of the 2026 season. He's a homegrown guy and a huge success story for the Tigers as a ninth-round draft pick in 2018 who turned into very possible Cy Young winner. His starts are appointment TV for Tigers fans after years of having very few figures to really show up for. The Tigers should certainly be thinking more in the way of an extension than a trade.

But the Dodgers and Orioles are circling, and either could very well offer a trade package the Tigers may have trouble refusing, and could rival whatever teams might shell out for another AL Central lefty starter in Garrett Crochet. If the Tigers are even going to entertain offers for Skubal, they should be aiming far beyond than what the White Sox are asking for their star pitcher.

Tigers shouldn't entertain Tarik Skubal trade discussions if they don't surpass Garrett Crochet deals

FanSided insider Robert Murray wrote that a "rival evaluator" of Crochet said that they'd be willing to give up five prospects in return for his services.

And the thing is: Skubal's been better than Crochet — a lot better — and he'd give teams a lot less to worry about in terms of longevity. Crochet has one more start and 10 more strikeouts under his belt this season than Skubal, but that's about it. Skubal's 4.5 fWAR, 116 innings pitched, 10-3 record, 2.41 ERA, 173 ERA+, and 0.88 WHIP all surpass Crochet's numbers in the same category.

Skubal has battled with some major injuries and corresponding surgeries in his career already, but Crochet is two years younger and only became a starter this season after spending three years in the White Sox pen, so there's still a risk that he'll incur more injuries from the heavier workload down the line.

The Tigers should not trade Skubal, but if they do, then the return had better be astronomical. If the White Sox get five prospects for Crochet, then the Tigers should be exceeding that number or getting a similar amount of greater quality.