Shutting down the dumbest Tigers debate in Detroit: Trading Tarik Skubal

There’s been growing chatter about Tarik Skubal — not just his dominant performances, but the lack of any visible progress on a contract extension. With the uncertainty that this has caused, it has created a truly baffling debate: should the Tigers consider trading him? The answer is simple, unequivocal, and emphatic: absolutely not. (Cue the gavel.)

It should be obvious: the Tigers — currently sitting atop the American League — would be committing baseball malpractice by trading away arguably the best pitcher in the game at the season’s midpoint. That fact alone should end the debate. Trade him? For what? Fear of Scott Harris not sealing the deal on an extension? That’s not strategy. That’s panic disguised as prudence.

Just listen to this audio from Brian Chapman on 97.1 The Ticket. To summarize, Chapman outlines a "10-point argument" for trading Skubal away, citing how he's a Scott Boras client and therefore is unlikely to sign; Detroit already offered Skubal an extension in 2024 which was declined; Boras likes to sign record-breaking deals ... you get the picture. Granted, this was brought up prior to the season starting, but the idea has continued to float around.

It might not carry the same weight as our own local sports talk airwaves, but even Barstool Sports is jumping into the fray. Ohio’s Tate — a well-known Guardians homer — trotted out the same tired logic after Skubal's most recent complete game shutout over Boston: since Skubal hasn’t signed an extension in 2024, the Tigers must trade him. Methinks this is less analysis and more wishful thinking — the kind that comes from desperately hoping Cleveland ends the season atop the AL Central. He even goes down to the barrel of bad ideas and states, "the Tigers can't win with Tarik Skubal anyways". Yikes. Just a really bad troll job, if you ask us.

Regardless of the timing of these ideas, their validity (bust mostly invalidity), the goal is — and always has been — to win a World Series. Full stop. And right now, the Tigers have put themselves in a legitimate position to chase that goal if they keep up their current pace. This would be an entirely different conversation if they were hovering a few games over .500, riddled with injuries, or facing setbacks that cloud the path forward, but that’s not the reality. This team is healthy, surging, and built to compete now. Even if Skubal were just a “rental” through 2025, the window is wide open — and that alone makes keeping him in the Old English D worth every ounce of risk that comes with not getting an extension done.

Just for fun, let’s entertain the thought experiment: what would a Tarik Skubal trade even look like? A controllable, proven starter? An everyday third baseman? A lights-out closer? Plus a couple of high-upside prospects? Sure, that sounds like a haul — on paper. But is it worth it? Even then, the answer is still no. This isn’t just a really good pitcher we’re talking about — this is arguably the best pitcher in baseball. Unless the return instantly vaults the Tigers past the likes of the Dodgers or Yankees as World Series favorites, there’s no package that makes sense. The only way Detroit reaches that level is with Skubal still in the clubhouse. You make a move elsewhere that pushes you into that realm. You don't trade away your ace. Period.

So, if you hear someone seriously suggest trading Skubal, just smile, nod, and gently recommend they get into fantasy baseball. Maybe that’s the real issue here — after so many years in the doldrums, some Tigers fans (and media voices) aren’t quite sure how to handle a return to relevance. Imposter syndrome at its finest. But here’s the truth: this isn’t a dream. This is real. The Tigers are contending and are doing so convincingly. While it’s perfectly reasonable to think about the future, entertain the what-ifs, stay pragmatic, and capitalize on your assets — one thing is crystal clear: Detroit is a better team with Skubal on the mound.

And if we’re going to dream, let it be of Skubal giving Detroit three gems in a seven-game playoff series, against the Dodgers, to hoist the Commissioners Trophy.