There is only one correct decision for the Detroit Tigers to make with Tarik Skubal

Tarik Skubal is a household name. Tarik Skubal is a Detroit Tiger. Tarik Skubal is a superstar. These descriptions haven't been muttered together since Miguel Cabrera was in his prime. Finally, in 2024, the Detroit Tigers have a superstar. As Chris Ilitch has trained us fans so well in Detroit to do, there are calls for him to be traded to a contender to look toward the future. Chris should be proud of the monster of mediocrity he has created.

There is no reason this team should be trading their ace, best player, and future. Why can people not accept that teams need homegrown talent to succeed unless you are the Yankees or Dodgers? Let yourself have something nice. By something nice, I mean arguably the best pitcher in the American League. That is exactly what Tarik Skubal has been this season. He has posted a 10-3 record with a 2.41 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP with 140 K's over 116.0 IP. It doesn't get much better than that. Why take a gamble when you have a proven talent?

The Detroit Tigers have been linked to the Baltimore Orioles in trade talks for Skubal, and some have suggested that Jackson Holliday could be a target. He is the top prospect in baseball, potentially a generational talent, but struggled mightily in his 10-game audition with the O's earlier this season. He's still young. I am not saying he is a bust, but why keep kicking the can down the road with a kid who is not ready for MLB action yet? These are questions that truly may never be answered.

The Detroit Tigers need to sign Tarik Skubal long-term and finally show commitment to the future.

This offseason, the Detroit Tigers took the first step toward investing in their future by signing second baseman Colt Keith to a six-year deal. This was the first move they made that committed past the 2025 season. So far, it is paying off as Keith has been scorching hot lately. At this time, the Tigers must do the same and begin to truly form a future core by signing Tarik Skubal on a long-term commitment. You finally would have an ace and a promising hitter around. If they go out and sign Riley Greene, presumably the next to sign a long-term contract or be pushed out of town, you have a few nice homegrown building blocks to grow around.

I wrote earlier this year about how an extension between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Mitch Keller could benefit the Tigers. These two had similar numbers, and the Tigers could have acted quickly and locked Skubal up on a similar type of deal. They missed their window. Tarik has had a career year, and will now be asking for you to back up the Brinks truck for an extension. That's fine if they are willing to pay that price. But so far, we have no evidence that the Harris regime wants to spend that money. If they decide to trade him, they are setting themselves back yet again.