Report: Surprising Development For Tigers & Tarik Skubal

Will they or won't they? The Detroit Tigers are on the periphery of the Wild Card chase in the American League after a strong two months. So what about the constant trade rumors of two-time defending AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal? The Tigers would lose the pending free agent for nothing if they don't trade him by next week's deadline. But what if they're still going for a playoff spot? 

Insider Bob Nightengale tells us of a surprising development surrounding the whole saga:

Some rival GMs believe that even though the Detroit Tigers have climbed into the wild-card race, they will still trade two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, while trying to convince their players and fan base that they are not surrendering.

“I really believe they want to move him," one rival GM said. “If they didn’t, then why haven’t they shut down the rumors?"

The Tigers could be using the template they set in 2024, when they traded their top veteran starter Jack Flaherty, who was having a terrific comeback season, at the deadline, but still made the postseason, securing the last Wild Card spot. 

"The Tigers could try to thread the needle moving Skubal, but get young starting pitching in return," Nightengale wrote.

Detroit is currently 3.5 games back of the Cleveland Guardians for the third and final WC spot. But there are still four other teams between them and Cleveland as well. The Tigers have gone 27-18 since June 1st. 

Skubal came back miraculously quickly from an elbow procedure earlier this season and seems pretty close to his old self, with a 2.70 ERA in 15 starts, with a 0.92 WHIP and an insane 110:13 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 90 innings. He would seriously move the needle for any contender.