Why Scott Harris' trade deadline track record is on the line after Tarik Skubal trade

As Jon Morosi pointed out over the weekend, Scott Harris has now made “sell” trades with five different organizations since taking control of the Detroit Tigers nearly four years ago: the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, and Texas Rangers.

The results have been decidedly underwhelming. That makes the package Harris received for Tarik Skubal more than the return for one superstar pitcher. It could ultimately determine how his entire tenure in Detroit is remembered.

Hao-Yu Lee is the only clear success story from Harris’ previous sell-side deals. Detroit acquired Lee from Philadelphia for two months of Michael Lorenzen in 2023, and the 23-year-old has developed into a productive major-league infielder. He entered Sunday batting .267 with six home runs and a .721 OPS during his rookie season.

The rest of the ledger is much harder to defend, and that's why the Skubal deal will be further under a microscope.

Harris’ first Tigers trade sent Joe Jiménez to Atlanta for Justyn-Henry Malloy and Jake Higginbotham. Malloy never established himself in Detroit and was traded to Tampa Bay for cash this offseason. Higginbotham never became a meaningful part of the Tigers’ pitching staff.

Mark Canha brought back Eric Silva from San Francisco. Silva is now 23 years old and has a 7.29 ERA and 1.79 WHIP at Double-A Erie this season.

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Detroit’s two trades with Texas produced Liam Hicks, Tyler Owens, Joseph Montalvo and Chase Lee for Carson Kelly and Andrew Chafin. Owens briefly reached the majors, but none have become an important part of Detroit’s roster. Lee was subsequently traded to Toronto, while injuries have slowed Montalvo’s development.

Even the celebrated Jack Flaherty trade has lost some of its shine. Trey Sweeney helped stabilize shortstop during Detroit’s surprising 2024 playoff run. But he owns a .202/.261/.313 career slash line and has spent this season on the 60-day injured list. Thayron Liranzo remains interesting, but he is still at Double-A and has fallen to No. 20 in Baseball America’s Tigers prospect rankings.

Scott Harris' Tigers legacy will likely be defined by Tarik Skubal trade return

Skubal wasn't just another another expiring middle reliever, backup catcher or useful veteran signed with the intention of being flipped. He was a homegrown ace, the back-to-back American League Cy Young Award winner and the face of the franchise. Detroit sent him to Los Angeles for outfielder Zyhir Hope and right-handers River Ryan and Brady Smith.

Hope is MLB Pipeline’s No. 25 overall prospect, while Ryan is ranked No. 68 but carries significant injury risk. Smith has struggled to a 4.36 ERA this season. It's a package with upside, but it's hardly one to justify trading the best pitcher Detroit has developed in decades while the Tigers were still within striking distance of a postseason spot.

Harris’ supporters can reasonably argue that prospects require patience. Some of the Rangers and Dodgers returns could still develop, and Liranzo is far from a finished product. But front offices are eventually judged by results rather than theoretical future value.

The Tigers needed this trade to produce at least one foundational player. Hope, Ryan or Smith simply must become a player capable of helping define the Tigers’ next competitive team.

Harris has spent nearly four years asking Detroit to trust his process. After trading Skubal, that process is officially out of excuses.

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