The Detroit Tigers and General Manager Scott Harris are in the middle of their own Shakespearean debate. Unlike the typical American High School student studying Hamlet, the Tigers front office is analytically and financially studying their ace and most likely back-to-back Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal.
The dominant lefty has one more year under team control before hitting the free agent market and will be looking for a well-deserved huge payday. With the Tigers recent spending habits, Detroit may be priced out from resigning the game’s best pitcher. What will the team with the old English D decide to do with their top star?
What Keeping Skubal Looks Like for the Tigers?
In 2024, the Detroit Tigers ended the season, shocking the baseball world by igniting a fire that would result in the best record in baseball from mid-August on. We all know by now the team defied all odds to make the playoffs and kept the momentum for much of the 2025 season, only to suffer an almost epic collapse almost a year later.
The 2025 team avoided the iceberg and righted the ship into the playoffs, where they would experience the same fate, getting eliminated in the ALDS for the second season in a row. Tarik Skubal anchored both of these squads, giving them a “chance” to win the World Series.
I say ‘chance’ in quotes because let’s be real, this team wouldn’t have been able to compete with the star power of the Los Angeles Dodgers or Toronto Blue Jays. So, with all that said, what should be the options for the Tigers to keep Skubal before he hits the market?
The probable back-to-back Cy Young winner needs a supporting cast. Detroit has a solid roster right now, but there are areas of the lineup that they could improve. Many of us revisit the lack of impact at the trade deadline from GM Scott Harris. Now, did Harris fall flat due to incompetence, or did he not truly believe this team was a World Series contender?
If the Tigers decide to roll with Skubal in his last year of his contract, they need to go all in. This team has proven in back-to-back seasons that it is playoff-caliber, but they need more. If the team could add two big bats in free agency and an additional quality starting pitcher, they could be looked at as a serious contender. With names like Kyle Tucker, Josh Naylor, Bo Bichette, and Alex Bregman possibly available, Detroit could use two of these big-name free agents to solidify its lineup.
The Benefits of Trading Skubal
Ok, Detroit fans, you may be upset with this part of the article but bear with me. Unfortunately for the Tigers and Scott Harris, they will be dealing with Tarik’s agent, Scott Boras. Boras is known for getting the best bang for his clients’ buck. And Tigers fans are well aware that we are no longer under the spending habits of Mike Ilitch, but under those of his much more frugal son, Chris.
The Detroit Tigers were in the middle of the pack, ranking number seventeen in payroll in 2025. Reports indicate the organization is anywhere between $250 and $300 million short of its reigning Cy Young winner. A long-term extension is unlikely, and the stock won’t be any higher than today.
If you are dealing with a top-of-the-line pitcher like Skubal, you must get three to four MLB. The New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, and Seattle Mariners are among the teams reportedly interested in Tarik Skubal’s services. What would Detroit get in return? When we talk about MLB trades like this, most will be a bundle of top prospects that may or may not work out.
I am no expert, but if you are dealing with a top-of-the-line pitcher like Skubal, you must get three to four MLB-ready prospects to fill the holes that are most needed. And if you look at the current team, they could use some middle infielders and a third baseman who are ready day one.
Final Thoughts
The dilemma and debate are real for the people of Detroit. Although Skubal is arguably the best pitcher in the league, he only plays one of every five games. With it being unlikely that Ilitch will fork over the cash to keep the All-Star, do you go all-in on the 2026 season? Do you keep Skubal and sign some notable free agents to get over the hump and give the team a legit shot at winning it all? Or do you sell while the price is high?
Scott Harris has fumbled the trade deadline and free agency in the past, so what gives you the confidence that he will max out the Skubal stock? Most likely, dealing the ace will result in a long-term contract with the team picking him up. If that is reality, there are only a handful of teams that can afford the lefty. So, if you can’t get an absolute stud of a deal from teams like the Mets, Red Sox, Yankees, Phillies, or Dodgers, do you put all your chips in to win the World Series in 2026? Detroit, what do you think?
