The worst part of Tigers' spiral isn't that they might be forced to trade Tarik Skubal

The idea of the Detroit Tigers trading Tarik Skubal didn't seem feasible at the start of the season. Skubal won his arbitration hearing, earning $32 million this year, and that seemed to add a level of urgency to how Scott Harris closed the offseason. Signings of Justin Verlander and Framber Valdez suggested that the Tigers were maximizing the potential final season of Skubal in Detroit, but that is far from how the first two months of 2026 have played out.

There have been a handful of expected contenders to disappoint this season, but there's a case to be made that the Tigers are at the top of the list. With Memorial Day on Monday, the Tigers are 11 games under .500 and in the midst of a six-game losing streak.

Given how lifeless the Tigers have looked, not to mention, collectively, the offense not taking a step forward from last year, it's about that time where the expectations of the 2026 season start to shift. The Tigers certainly could get hot and turn their season around, but once the calendar flips to June, they will be faced with a question they refused to address in the offseason.

Is trading Tarik Skubal now the logical move for the Tigers?

Regardless of if the Tigers are contending in September or not, Skubal is walking out the door at the end of the season and likely not coming back. But if the Tigers are this lifeless at the end of May and the Titanic continues to take on water in June and July, the situation may force them to trade Skubal.

There was a world in which Tigers fans remained somewhat hopeful that a promising 2026 campaign could convince Skubal to return in free agency. It wasn't likely. Everybody knew that. But what if the Tigers made an ALCS/World Series run? Why couldn't fans hold out hope that the competitor in Skubal might want to see things through if there was still promise ahead?

Well, now he has little reason to, especially if the freefall continues. This is the worst the Tigers have looked in a few years.

There have been varied opinions on the type of package the Tigers could receive if they trade Skubal, but the general consensus is at least one Top-100 prospect. That could grow to even a Top-50 prospect depending on the teams involved.

Nonetheless, consider a trade almost entirely likely. Consider Skubal's likelihood of returning in 2027 six feet under, if it didn't already feel that way.

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