MLB Execs Share Updated Views on Tarik Skubal Trade Possibility
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After getting eliminated by the Seattle Mariners in the ALDS last season, the Detroit Tigers have heard the same question over and over again: Will the Tigers trade Tarik Skubal?
The question got answered earlier this offseason when teams reportedly tried their hands at bringing the back-to-back American League Cy Young away from Detroit, but the Tigers' asking price was too high. Skubal remained with the Tigers and earned the largest amount in arbitration in MLB history.
With free agency looming for the ace and with Detroit trying to break the chain of hovering around the .500 mark, MLB executives once again chime in on the likelihood of Skubal getting traded this summer. In their latest poll, it looks like they believe that the ace of the Tigers will remain in Detroit.
MLB Executive Poll Results
According to MLB.com, 20 executives were surveyed about who the biggest name would be traded at the trade deadline, which is set for Aug. 3. Among the 20 executives, only one executive listed Skubal's name as the biggest name on the trade market this season.
Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara earned four votes, leading the pack. Of the available starting pitchers who could be dealt, Joe Ryan of the Minnesota Twins was the only other pitcher who received multiple votes (three). If these polls hold weight, it looks like Skubal will remain a Tiger.
“Unless someone like [Tarik Skubal] becomes available, guys like Alcantara and Ryan will be the best option for teams looking for frontline rotation help,” an NL executive said via MLB.com's article, “And that’s assuming they’re even available.”
The Tigers went all in this offseason with keeping Skubal around and bringing in Framber Valdez in free agency to help give Detroit its best starting rotation in nearly a decade. Both Skubal and Valdez have five quality starts to their names in 2026, followed by Casey Mize, who holds three quality starts.
It's still early in the season, and the MLB executives leaving Skubal's name off as a favorite to be traded implies that those executives believe that Detroit will turn things around as the season progresses. Keeping Skubal in Detroit gives the Tigers their best chance at winning the World Series, which has been the vocal goal of Scott Harris and company.
Skubal currently holds a 2.70 ERA with 45 strikeouts and a 0.93 WHIP in seven starts. The Tigers' bullpen must improve to hold onto games for the franchise, along with the offense becoming more consistent, if there is a realistic chance of not trading Skubal at the deadline.
Should the Tigers win the World Series or even make it to the ALCS for the first time since 2013, it isn't a guarantee that Skubal remains a Tiger for life, but it does improve their chances of keeping him. That seems to be the mindset in the front office for Detroit, as May carries on.
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Dominic Minchella is a 2024 Eastern Michigan University graduate with a BA in Communications, Media, and Theatre Arts and a Journalism minor. He covers Major League Baseball for On SI and spends his free time watching games and sharing his insights.