MLB Insider Gives Update on the Future of Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize in Detroit
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As the MLB All-Star break approached, the Detroit Tigers were among a few teams expected to be sellers. However, they now appear to be considering staying put or even making acquisitions at the MLB trade deadline on August 3.
Detroit didn't have the start to the season that they thought they were going to have, as injuries played a big part in the slow start. Since June 1, they are eight games over .500, which has allowed them to get back into the American League wild-card race and within striking distance in the AL Central.
As the trade deadline approaches, Tarik Skubal's name is going to be the biggest name available around the league, but there is no guarantee that he'll be moved. He even made it clear recently that he wanted to remain in Detroit. Another name that emerged as a potential trade chip for the front office is pitcher Casey Mize. Buster Olney of ESPN reported on Friday that it's not a given that either will be moved in the next couple of weeks.
ESPN Insider Gives Updates on Tigers Pitchers Ahead of the Trade Deadline
On Friday, before the unofficial second half gets going in full, Olney gave some intel and rumors on some trades. For the Tigers, it was about Skubal and Mize, and it doesn't sound like a guarantee that one or both could be moved over the next couple of weeks.
"The Tigers are 22-14 since the start of June, which means they've been playing at a 99-win pace for almost a quarter of the season. It's this trendline that has some rival executives extremely skeptical that Detroit will trade Skubal -- or, for that matter, Casey Mize,'' Olney wrote.
Like every other team in the American League, the next couple of weeks are going to be huge in terms of pointing toward a deadline path. One reason a lot of teams are up in the air as to what they could be doing is that it might take only 80, 81, or even 82 wins to secure a wild-card spot. There are more teams in it than in previous years and the AL is wide-open once the postseason begins. There is no clear-cut favorite like the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League.
There is a potential work stoppage looming over MLB on December 1, which could play a role in some teams' trade deadline decisions. Mize and Skubal are both going to be free agents at the end of the season, but the Tigers are a team and if healthy, anything is possible if they get into the playoffs. That might be enough to at least stand pat with two of their top pitchers.
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Scott Roche has covered both college and professional sports for nearly three decades for various outlets. Scott has covered the MLB, NHL, and college sports and he is someone always looking for a good rumor, no matter which sport it is.