Tarik Skubal: Don’t expect him to be traded

The Detroit Tigers aren't planning to keep Tarik Skubal long-term if he ends up signing the contract he's seeking.

During the most recent offseason, Detroit's front office opted for the status quo: not really trying to sign him to a long-term deal and not trying to trade him. They also went all out against him in arbitration.

And now? Skubal's injury changes the situation a bit, but not entirely.

After all, if a team wants to sign him long-term, a thorough medical exam will be conducted. So it's still possible that a team could have confidence in him on the terms of a long contract.

“No team is going to sign him without a thorough MRI.”@JimBowdenGM isn't concerned about Tarik Skubal's elbow injury unless it affected his shoulder… pic.twitter.com/bGpIkVP9A9

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) May 13, 2026

So even though he's injured, the Tigers face the possibility of losing him in 2027. And anyway, even if he signs a short-term deal, he could do so with a team other than the Tigers.

But since the Tigers acquired Framber Valdez to compete in 2026 and the American League is wide open, it's currently hard to imagine a scenario in which the left-hander is traded at the trade deadline. Jon Heyman discussed this during a live broadcast.

It's ‘unlikely' that the Tigers would trade Tarik Skubal, per @JonHeyman pic.twitter.com/vy6sEdowNU

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) May 13, 2026

It wouldn't be surprising, in that case, if the Tigers ended up empty-handed. After all, the stars would have to align for the team to make a run in the playoffs in 2026.

And that measly little compensatory pick isn't going to make a difference in 2027…

If the Tigers were really trying to sign him to a long-term deal, taking a chance on keeping him would make sense. But right now, let's just say the Tigers lack a long-term vision.

We'll see how it plays out.

Created by humans, assisted by AI.