Tigers fans are amped after Mark DeRosa drops Team USA hint about Tarik Skubal

MLB Network analyst and Team USA manager Mark DeRosa has been hard at work assembling his squad for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, and he's already added two of the game's biggest stars. Aaron Judge will captain the team, taking over from 2023's Mike Trout, and Paul Skenes joined the rotation a few weeks ago, marking a massive upgrade from the 2023 rotation, which had to depend on the likes of Merrill Kelly and Lance Lynn.

Other major leaguers have thrown their hats into the ring, including the Tigers' own Tarik Skubal. Skubal has already said that while he'd love to join, his participation was ultimately up to the Tigers, and teams have historically been hesitant to allow their pitchers to participate in such a high-intensity tournament right before the start of the regular season. Edwin Díaz famously sustained a severe knee injury while celebrating with Team Puerto Rico in 2023, which kept him out for the entire year.

However, DeRosa aimed a direct call to action at Skubal on MLB Network's MLB Central while breaking down Skubal's complete game shutout. He said, "Tarik, keep your phone next to you. You're gonna have to tell me no."

WBC Team USA manager Mark DeRosa tells Tarik Skubal to "keep his phone next to him" after complete game shoutout for Tigers

Skenes and Skubal in the same rotation in a tournament with actual stakes is fantasy baseball-level stuff. But, like Skubal's already said, the Tigers have final say here, and it'll be up to them whether or not they want to risk their ace in his last year of team control.

The Tigers could potentially strengthen their case for getting Skubal to stay — whether that's via extension or coming back in free agency — if they let him join Team USA, and he was already throwing up to six innings in spring training this year. But if he dominates (which he probably will), it'll only drive his value as a free agent up even more.

From a fan perspective, it'd be thrilling to watch Skubal in the WBC, where the team will have heavy competition in the forms of Team Mexico, Team South Korea, Team Puerto Rico, and Team Japan (the reigning champs). Judge and Skenes already gives them a leg up, and are incredibly enticing teammates to anyone who might be interested but still on the fence. Still, it's up to the Tigers. Hey, just win the World Series this year and it'll be no issue, right?