Tigers Rumors: Jeff Passan labels key Detroit trade candidates if turnaround halts

No one on the Detroit Tigers wants to hear about the MLB trade deadline right now. The same can be said of the fanbase, as the Tigers have lost just two games in the month of June entering play on Thursday, winning six of their last eight games.

This included a sweep of the AL-leading Tampa Bay Rays, and taking two of three games against 2025 ALDS opponent Seattle. In comparison, a series at home vs. the Twins feels like light work, but if we've learned anything about this Tigers team, it's to expect the unexpected.

Scott Harris' job description requires him to plan for all possible outcomes, as well. That means he should take the Tigers current winning streak with a grain of salt. Sure, there's no rush to trade away Tarik Skubal and a litany of expiring assets who could help a contender, but it's Harris' job to listen. Per ESPN's Jeff Passan, Harris has laid the ground work for a sale just in case.

Latest Tigers trade rumors point to a fire sale

Again, this is all a moot point should the Tigers keep winning. If Detroit can make a run at the AL Central or even an AL Wild Card spot, Harris will call off the hounds. In Passan's most recent notebook, the ESPN insider labeled the Tigers an 'unloader' with the objective of securing a franchise-altering return for a player of that caliber. Passan was talking about Skubal with his overall analysis, but did mention other Tigers stars who could be on the move as well.

Passan dubbed the 2026 MLB trade deadline the 'Skubal deadline.' Even if the Tigers get back into the AL Wild Card race — and they're only 5.5 games back as of this writing — they are going to receive calls on Skubal. The $10 million prorated salary isn't going to stop contenders, nor will the likelihood of the two-time defending AL Cy Young winner leaving in free agency. As Passan put it, "if you can get Tarik Skubal, you get Tarik Skubal."

None of this is new news. What will interest Tigers fans are the other players Passan mentioned as possible trade bait.

Of the players mentioned (Skubal not included), Mize, Torres, Anderson and Rogers would likely secure the best returns, if only due to their stable play so far in 2026.

When should the Tigers commit to selling?

Tigers fans are going to find out a lot about this team in the coming weeks, as will Harris. The schedule doesn't get any easier after a brief break against the Twins, as Detroit heads on the road to face Cleveland and then Houston. That three-game series against the Guardians could either breathe new life in the Tigers midseason push, or put an end to it altogether.

From there, the Tigers will host the surging Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees before playing those familiar and pesky Astros to end a long homestand. Needless to say, there are a lot of important baseball games coming up for the Tigers, and thankfully many of them will be played at Comerica Park.

If the Tigers can thrive during that stretch as they have in the beginning of June, perhaps their deadline plans will change altogether, along with Skubal's immediate future.

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