Back-to-back Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal could be on the move this offseason according to Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris. While Detroit doesn’t appear to be in any rush to deal their ace this winter, they certainly aren’t hanging up the phone when teams come calling.
“I don’t believe in untouchable players at any level,” Harris told reporters at the winter meetings in Orlando, Florida. “It’s not a commentary on Tarik; it’s more of a blanket approach to building a winning organization. My job is to make this organization better … which means that I need to listen to every opportunity, no matter how likely or unlikely it is to actually happen. I’ve got to listen because we’ve got to get better as an organization, so that’s our approach.”
“We don’t have everything figured out, but it’s led to a ton of success in a very short period of time. And I can stand here and credibly say that we have both a bright present and a bright future, and this approach has led to that.”
“I can’t, and I won’t, speculate on trades for our own players,” Harris told MLB Network. “Like, it’s just not fair to the players. It’s not fair to the other teams. And the second thing is, there are 25 other guys in our locker room — 25 guys that are busting their butts to play on the field, and it takes all of us to actually get to the postseason. It’s not a commentary on Tarik. It’s the organizational ethos we have. It’s going to take all of us, it’s going to take every little thing, to get to the postseason.”
“Listen, Tarik’s a Tiger right now. We’re thrilled he’s a Tiger. … He’s a huge part of what we’re doing right now.”
With one season left before he hits free agency, trade rumours regarding Skubal are sure to spill over into the regular season if a deal isn’t completed this winter. As a client of mega-agent Scott Boras, the 29 year old is expected to test free agency unless Detroit backs up the Brinks truck over the next couple of months.
Historically speaking, even if Skubal were to return to Detroit as a free agent, Boras repped clients tend to gauge the market first before coming back to the negotiation table with their clubs. That means the Tigers risk losing their star pitcher for nothing if a deal isn’t worked out over the next several months.
With a 2.21 ERA, and 241 strikeouts across 195.1IP this year, Skubal would be the crown jewel of the 2026 free agent class, with virtually every MLB club set to at least kick the tires on him. Which means that even if a trade isn’t worked out prior to Spring Training, Detroit’s front office will need to carefully weigh their options heading into next season’s trade deadline.
If Detroit isn’t viewed as a title contender at that point, they would almost be forced into making a deal for the talented lefty. If they opt to stand pat, and don’t re-sign Skubal, then they could be in the same spot the Angels found themselves in during the 2023 offseason after they turned down numerous mega-packages for Shohei Ohtani at the deadline, only to miss the playoffs and watch the two-way star sign with the Dodgers.
“I think we have a really good team that we’re going to put on the field — and I think Tarik is a big part of that — but there are a lot of really talented players in this organization and in the big leagues that are helping us win a lot,” Harris said.
A “big part of that” is an understatement. Over the past two seasons, Skubal has compiled a 31-10 record while leading MLB in strikeouts (469), WHIP (0.91) and is second in ERA (2.30), innings pitched (387⅓) and opponent OPS (.558).
As always, whenever there are big name starts available, rumours out of the winter meetings are that the Dodgers have had some cursory conversations with Detroit about the frameworks of what a potential deal could look like. Other teams that have been linked to Skubal over the last 48 hours include the Mets, Mariners, Red Sox, and even the Orioles, though talks have inevitably shifted to what could be done extension wise should a deal get swung fairly quickly.
With Boras generally preferring to test free agency in all but the rarest of circumstances, it would likely require a godfather type offer to both the Tigers, and a blank cheque contract extension to get a deal done this winter. In all likelihood, expect this saga to drag into the regular season where Detroit can then make another run towards the postseason before needing to make a hard decision at the deadline.
Photo: Sewageboy. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.