Tigers Collapse All But Confirms Tarik Skubal's Fate at Deadline, Past 2026

The Tigers have all but sealed their fate, and Tarik Skubal's.

Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal watches a play during the seventh inning between Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Angels at Comerica Park in Detroit on Wednesday, May 27, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Detroit Tigers have made the postseason in each of the last two years as a wild card team, falling short in the American League Division Series both times. They were expected to be a clear contender this season, but since Tarik Skubal went on the injured list, they have been floundering.

Skubal underwent surgery to clear out bone chips in his pitching elbow, and strangely, he has progressed quite well in his recovery. However, because the Tigers have fallen out of contention, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com believes that Skubal's fate at the trade deadline, as well as beyond the 2026 season, has been sealed.

"This has been a popular topic for several months, but the Tigers’ disappointing start to the season -- Detroit’s 22-38 record entering the week was tied with Colorado for the worst in the Majors -- has only hastened calls for a trade of the two-time Cy Young Award winner, who would undoubtedly be the biggest name on the market," Feinsand wrote.

"Skubal will be a free agent at the end of the season, so unless the Tigers move him this summer, they will receive a compensatory Draft pick if he signs elsewhere. Given that the two sides have been far apart in extension discussions, it appears as though Skubal will wind up elsewhere in 2027 and beyond."

Skubal's deadline fate seemingly confirmed

Apr 28, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the sixth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Tigers have essentially played their way out of contention and snatched defeat out of the jaws of victory. They are tied with the Colorado Rockies for the worst record in Major League Baseball. They at least won on Monday night against the Tampa Bay Rays, but their chances of reaching the postseason are slim.

In that case, trading Skubal makes sense, and it would seem that as long as he can get healthy and pitch the way he did before the injury, he will be on the way out at the trade deadline. He is a free agent at the end of the year, and holding onto him would not make much sense given his contract status.

Skubal may also not be the only Tigers pitcher traded, but he'll be the cream of the crop for available starting pitchers. The Tigers' struggles have only made that more likely, and unless they can pull off a turnaround similar to what they did in 2024, there's little reason to believe that Skubal's days in Detroit aren't numbered.