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For the past few weeks, Tarik Skubal's situation has been the focus of attention in MLB. The star pitcher, who will become a free agent at the end of the season, is unlikely to remain with the Tigers beyond this season.
The team retained him for 2026, knowing full well that Skubal was highly likely to leave this winter. However, they wanted to give themselves a chance to be competitive this season.
That said, the Tigers struggled during the first few months of the season. The team was among the worst in the American League, and with Skubal missing time, there were questions about whether the pitcher would be the main attraction at the upcoming trade deadline.
But in June, the Tigers are turning things around. The team is 11-6 in June (as of today's game), and suddenly, both the hitters and the pitchers seem to be clicking.
And that's making people wonder more and more whether Skubal might actually end up finishing the year with the Tigers.
Everyone's acting like a Skubal trade is a sure thing, but in June:
DET has the AL's best record
and in the dreadfully weak AL Central, it might just be that they keep him after all. Six of their next 10 games are against the NYY—that should be telling.
— Mike Petriello (@mike_petriello) June 22, 2026
Despite their dismal 33-44 record, the Tigers are only 7.5 games behind the Guardians (who will be without Jose Ramirez for about two months) at the top of the American League Central. It's a significant deficit, but one that can be overcome.
Especially for a team that pulled off an even crazier climb up the standings two years ago.
It's interesting to note that today, the Tigers kicked off a three-game series against the Yankees… and that they'll face those same Yankees again early next week.
These six games against the Yankees—one of the league's top teams—could very well determine whether or not Skubal will be traded. Let's see how the team responds… and how Skubal, who is expected to start two of those games (he's scheduled to start Wednesday night and is expected to start next Monday), performs.
Created by humans, assisted by AI.
