Tigers discourse surrounding latest Tarik Skubal trade comments is beyond ridiculous

On Sunday, Bob Nightengale buried an interesting Tarik Skubal nugget in his latest notebook.

"Skubal has informed friends that he badly wants to stay in Detroit the rest of the season, believing they have a legitimate shot at the World Series, and has zero appetite to be traded," he wrote. "'I’ve never lost faith,' Skubal says."

Some small- or mid-market teams who, like the Tigers, have a tendency to develop stars, endear fanbases to them, and then trade them away when they can no longer afford them, would take this as a good thing. Detroit's ace, the face of the franchise for the last three seasons, wants to stay. He wants to win with the Tigers.

Yes, his free agency is right around the corner, and he's made no secret about wanting to get out there and make his money when the time comes. But being traded midseason is another thing entirely.

Some Tigers fans aren't taking it that way. Some are taking it as a blatant PR stunt, akin to the grand tour he went on all over Michigan in the offseason. If Skubal really wanted to prove he's loyal to the Tigers, they argue, he would sign an extension.

What are we talking about? These are two different things.

Tigers fans are turning on each other after latest Tarik Skubal trade intel

Skubal is a member of the MLB Players Association's executive subcommittee. He has made no secret about his belief in players' right to negotiate contracts they feel reflect their value, nor about his responsibility to set the tone for his union. He probably can't wait to get the $400 million he's widely expected to in free agency.

All of those things can be true alongside the fact that he doesn't want to be traded, because they're two entirely different issues. He's a competitor — he wants to win with the team he's on right now, and he can worry about the PR mess of leaving when he gets to that point. What good would being traded right now do him?

Some Tigers fans have been quick to think the worst of Skubal since the arbitration debacle, and maybe even earlier, when he exited Game 5 of the 2025 ALDS after six innings. This is, in some ways, understandable as a defense mechanism. Steel yourself for Skubal leaving months before he actually leaves, and you can pretend it doesn't hurt as much when the time comes, or that you always knew he was a bum and couldn't wait for him to leave anyway.

Let's be honest with ourselves, shall we? Tarik Skubal is a two-time Cy Young winner. He hasn't looked quite like himself since coming back from surgery, but he is not someone the Tigers should just shoo out the door, as some fans have had the audacity to insist. The Tigers are still provably better with him than they are without.

When Skubal says he wants to stay in Detroit for the rest of the season, we should believe him. Save your outrage for when he actually signs with a different team; for now, just be happy we still have him.

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