How Latest Tarik Skubal Update Could Directly Impact Cardinals

This could affect the Cardinals at the trade deadline.

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

The St. Louis Cardinals are playing well, but they could still be sellers at the trade deadline. They have a lot of pieces that other contending teams will be interested in. Pitchers JoJo Romero and Dustin May are on expiring contracts and could be on the move at the deadline.

The chances of the Detroit Tigers trading Tarik Skubal are high, given that Detroit has fallen out of the race. However, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the Tigers aren't conceding just yet, and that they will wait and see where they are at the All-Star break before deciding to trade him, which strangely could have a massive impact on the Cardinals.

"The Detroit Tigers went into an utter free-fall after Tarik Skubal went down with a bone chip in his elbow, losing 21 of 25 games, with teams salivating at the chance to acquire Skubal," Nightengale reported.

"Yet, the Tigers since have gone 7-3 in June and Skubal returned Saturday, with Casey Miza and Justin Verlander on the way back. The Tigers plan to wait until around the All-Star break to see if they can get back in the race before pulling the plug on their season and trading Skubal."

Latest on Tarik Skubal Could Impact Cardinals

Jun 2, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Dustin May (3) walks off the field after he was removed from the game against the Texas Rangers during the sixth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

If the Cardinals sell, May could be the first piece that gets shipped out. But if Skubal is off the board, that means May's stock could go up drastically. The Cardinals could potentially bring back some solid prospects for him, but they could be higher-quality prospects if Skubal is no longer on the market.

This is a big reason why it still makes sense for the Cardinals to sell at the trade deadline, even though they currently lead the National League wild card race. The focus still should be on the future rather than the present.

But the Cardinals could still get a lot for May. He was signed in December to a one-year deal and was already an obvious candidate to be moved at the deadline on August 3. This could set the Cardinals up well for the future.

And because teams often overpay for rental starting pitching at the trade deadline, the Cardinals could take advantage of this, especially if the Tigers choose to hold onto Skubal rather than trade him.

It will be interesting to see what happens with Skubal, because that could directly impact what happens with May and the Cardinals at the deadline.