Not trading Tarik Skubal “would set the franchise back 10 years”

The Tigers have a problem: they aren't performing as well as expected this season.

We saw it when Tarik Skubal went down due to surgery: that team was a shadow of its former self. They really depend on Skubal.

Like Carey Price back in the day with the Canadiens, Skubal masks the team's other problems when he's at his best. And like Price, he can't score himself…

That's why, in the eyes of an MLB executive, the conclusion is clear: the Tigers' president absolutely must trade his star pitcher for a massive return. Otherwise, he'd set the Tigers back 10 years.

Mark Feinsand (MLB.com) discussed this in an article on the subject.

As you may recall, the Angels, who believed they had a chance to keep Shohei Ohtani after the 2023 season, held onto him at the trade deadline. And today, they regret it.

Why? Because Junior Camienero could be a member of the Angels right now if the trade with the Rays had gone through.

Do the Tigers want the same thing, given that they're heading for disaster and have even less of a chance of signing Skubal than the Angels had with Ohtani?

Another factor to consider is that by letting Skubal go, the team could free up the ability to trade many other players.

Kyle Finnegan, Kenley Jansen, Gleyber Torres, Drew Anderson, and Jack Fluharty are names to watch if the team decides to sell.

The result? A well-executed trade could help stock the farm system and allow the team to return to the top more quickly.

Big decisions lie ahead for the Tigers… and every team looking to win in 2026 is waiting to see what happens.

Created by humans, assisted by AI.