Surprising Angels trade chip could hurt Tigers Tarik Skubal trade talks before they begin

The Detroit Tigers took Tarik Skubal off the market...for now. Detroit has won six of seven games in June, as they're finally playing like the AL contender many thought they'd be before the season began. The Tigers are just 4.5 games out of the final AL Wild Card spot. Trading their two-time Cy Young winner months before the deadline would (rightly) start a riot barring a shocking development.

Speaking of shocking developments, there's a possibility the Tigers' decision to take Skubal off the market could hinder their attempts to trade him later. Dealing a pitcher of Skubal's quality is not a task I'd wish on my worst enemy. Doing so comes with fan expectations that can't be matched. If the Tigers do deal Skubal, fans and pundits will go over the return with a fine-tooth comb. If they don't trade him and fail to make a playoff run, the decision will be second-guessed for years to come when Skubal inevitably leaves in free agency.

As it turns out, none of those looming problems is what Harris should be most worried about at this very moment.

Tigers' asking price in Tarik Skubal trade could become a problem

If the Tigers do trade Skubal, they'll rightly want a king's ransom in return. Whether contenders choose to meet those demands is their prerogative. While August is indeed the Skubal deadline, there should be plenty of other available starting pitchers, and thus suitable backup plans for teams like the Dodgers, Cubs and more that would prefer not to mortgage the future for what amounts to a rental.

For contenders in search of a backup plan, Reid Detmers has emerged as a likely candidate, per one insider.

"Tarik Skubal will be the most prominent player talked about leading up to the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline," Brent Maguire of MLB.com wrote. "For many teams that potentially miss out on Skubal -- or aren’t willing to meet Detroit’s likely high asking price -- there are several other intriguing pitchers who could be on the move. In terms of left-handed starters, one pitcher to monitor is the Angels’ Reid Detmers."

Detmers is a suitable left-handed starter in the middle of a career year. He ranks fifth in fWAR, sixth in xERA and seventh in FIP among 67 qualified starting pitchers.

Tigers could be forced to lower their asking price for Tarik Skubal given the trade market's alternatives

It's an inevtable development that the Tigers will be asked to lower their asking price on Skubal. Per FanSided's Robert Murray, rival executives believe Detroit could get an MLB-ready player and a top-100 prospect in return for the left-handed ace. Trade packages pitched by ESPN's Jeff Passan suggest the Tigers could ask (and receive) even more depending on the bidding. That all changes if contenders change their tune.

Both Detmers and Freddy Peralta, among a litany of other starting pitchers, loom as backup plans for teams that can't handle the Tigers asking price for Skubal. That list of teams could get long depending on Harris' willingness to negotiate.

Detmers is no Skubal. Peralta, as productive as he's been, isn't either. At some point, though, the asking price is too steep for a player who's almost guaranteed to test the market next winter. The Tigers should take this buzz as a warning.

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