Tigers Massive Tarik Skubal Trade Demands May Mean Belief Extension is Possible
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The Detroit Tigers have been the subject of trade rumors all offseason long surrounding their superstar ace Tarik Skubal as he enters his final season of team control.
Extension talks between the two sides have gone nowhere to this point, and things got even more dicey after a historic gap in arbitration filing sets up a dramatic hearing between Skubal and Detroit. Trading him now for a haul at least makes sense, but to this point no team has been willing to meet the price.
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That price has varied, but the latest indications as both the New York Mets and New York Yankees took a pass say the Tigers are asking for a historic haul. The Yankees balked because of their belief Skubal would have taken "half the team", while reports around the Mets pursuit were similar as well.
While many have seen it as a foregone conclusion that even if they keep him, this will be Skubal's final year in Detroit, perhaps these reports paint a different outlook in the front office.
Tigers May Believe They Can Still Lock Up Skubal
Though the way this team is run and their hesitancy to spend frequently, Detroit is not foolish by any means. They are capable of facing reality, and if that reality is that they know they have zero chance to keep Skubal beyond 2026, they would entertain trading him.
Of course, him being under contract just for this year lowers his value in a deal, but the Tigers seem determined to hold onto him unless they get completely blown away in a return value. Compare that to the Milwaukee Brewers and Freddy Peralta, and it's tough to think Detroit has no chance to keep him.
A legitimate offer will have to be made -- one which has not happened to this point -- but Skubal certainly loves playing in the Motor City, and perhaps the organization thinks that will make him stay.
Tigers Still Facing Supremely Uphill Battle to Keep Skubal
Detroit believing they can keep Skubal and actually being able to make it happen are two very different things, and if they are determined to continue making the type of offers they have put out there to this point, he will wind up elsewhere.
The Tigers clearly value Skubal as highly as anyone though, and that value is reflected in what it would take to this point for them to get rid of him in a trade. Perhaps they can start acting that same way in contract negotiations, otherwise it won't make much of a difference.
Scott Harris and Chris Ilitch are still going to have to go above and beyond where they ever have before, but if there ever was a player to do that for, it's Skubal. Time will tell if talks pick back up, but it does seem like Detroit is banking on that being the case.
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Michael Brauner is a 2022 graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in Sports Media. He covers various MLB teams across the On SI network and you can also find his work on Yellowhammer News covering the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers as well as on the radio producing and co-hosting 'The Opening Kickoff' every weekday morning on 105.5 WNSP FM in Mobile, Alabama.