Tigers' AL Central reality should settle Tarik Skubal trade deadline debate (for the most part)

Yes, the Detroit Tigers have a lot to gain by trading Tarik Skubal. The asking price, as reported by FanSided MLB insider Robert Murray in conversations with rival GMs a few weeks ago, is expected to be at least one top-100 prospect in all of baseball and another team top-10 prospect. The Tigers are also likely to lose Skubal at the end of the season as he chases the bag in MLB free agency. All of that remains true, but if the Tigers are serious about making a playoff run this season (as they were last winter), this team is starting to show some signs of life.

The Tigers have the best record in the American League since the start on June. They have won seven of their past eight games, and are in the midst of a six-game homestand against the Athletics and Phillies. Should that stretch go according to plan, Scott Harris will be forced to consider this team's 2026 outlook and postseason potential before trading away their best player.

Why the Detroit Tigers might not trade Tarik Skubal

There are several aspects at play when it comes to trading Skubal. The first is what I mentioned above. Detroit is finally starting to play like the team fans grew accustomed to watching in the first half of 2025. Harris wanted to see how much ground the Tigers could make up before the All-Star Break. As of this writing, they're four games back of the final AL Wild Card spot and 5.5 games back of the division-leading White Sox. That's not insurmountable.

The second and perhaps most important factor in trading Skubal is how much the Tigers could get back in return. Yes, the reported asking price is high. That doesn't mean a contender will match it, especially considering Skubal is likely to test free agency after the season. Paying a premium for less than half a season of Skubal, even as a two-time AL Cy Young winner, isn't good business in the long term.

If the Tigers keep on winning, and Harris receives the kind of lowball offers he's gotten for other starting pitchers at past deadlines (think Eduardo Rodriguez), then there's little reason to trade Skubal and annoy the fanbase. Add in that the Tigers will likely receive a draft pick should they extend Skubal a qualifying offer this winter, and Harris really isn't mortgaging Detroit's future by keeping him around.

What could go wrong if Tigers keep Tarik Skubal

The fear of keeping Skubal is that he's an unknown. Yes, he's responded well since coming off the injured list, but his stint was also abbreviated via a rare NanoNeedle Scope procedure. As with any elbow surgery, there's always the potential for a backslide.

There's also the possibility that, despite an impressive June and start to July, this Tigers team just isn't good enough to make a real run in the American League. The Rays look like a juggernaut in the making, and even the Yankees and Mariners linger as real threats with better rosters on paper. By hanging on to Skubal, the Tigers are going all-in. That comes with significant risk, especially if it turns out teams would be willing to go above and beyond Harris' asking price to acquire him.

This is why no one reading this article — especially me — is qualified to make such a decision. The ball is in your court, Scott.

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