Tigers Could Keep Tarik Skubal

The biggest name out there ahead of the August 3 MLB trade deadline might not get dealt this summer after all.

According to MLB insider Jon Heyman of The New York Post, ace starter Tarik Skubal looks more likely to stay with the Detroit Tigers in the short-term.

Detroit has won 10 of their last 13 games and stand 3.5 games out of the third and final AL Wild Card spot in a weak race. That being said, the Tigers still entered play on Sunday with a 46-52 record.

If the Tigers truly believe they can make a run at a playoff spot, trading Skubal would be off the table. The next few weeks of action should determine whether they deal Skubal or not.

But even if they hang onto him, Skubal appears to destined to walk in free agency. He will likely receive the largest free agent contract for a starting pitcher in MLB history, exceeding Gerrit Cole ($324 million) and Yoshinobu Yamamoto ($325 million).

As Heyman mentioned, the Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs and Tampa Bay Rays are teams that could acquire Skubal should Detroit wind up trading him.

And don't count out the Los Angeles Dodgers who are known for making big splashes at the trade deadline and in free agency.

The Dodgers announced on Sunday that two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani will be taking a break from pitching indefinitely due to a knee injury. Los Angeles could use another frontline starter and Skubal would be the perfect fit atop their rotation with Ohtani only hitting for the time being.

The Tigers are in the AL Wild Card race and 5.5 games back of first place in the AL Central. But don't forget that they sold at the 2024 MLB trade deadline and still made a run to capture a playoff berth that year.

Realistically, the Tigers should trade Skubal if they aren't going to re-sign him in the offseason. However, Heyman is reporting that he's much more likely to stay now that Detroit is playing better.