Tigers Reportedly Now Unlikely to Trade Ace Tarik Skubal Ahead of Season
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The Detroit Tigers have had a massive question hanging over them all offseason long, and it appears it is now finally getting close to having an answer.
Left-handed ace Tarik Skubal has been the subject of trade rumors virtually since the moment the season ended due to the team having just one year left of control before he hits free agency. Given the gap in extension and arbitration talks, a real argument for a trade can be made.
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Now nearly a month into 2026 though, Skubal remains in Detroit, and it is beginning to become less likely by the day that the organization actually pulls the trigger on trading the superstar.
During a recent live stream, baseball insider Jon Heyman of the New York Post shared his belief that a trade at this stage in the game is now unlikely, and there are a few key reasons why.
Tigers Unlikely to Trade Skubal, Heyman Says
.@JonHeyman says a Tarik Skubal trade is UNLIKELY ❌ pic.twitter.com/1YF3Hv4jWA
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) January 21, 2026
"I think it was not that likely ever," Heyman began. "They have won two thirds of his starts, they are a playoff contender, they've added to the bullpen, if you're gonna trade him you're certainly taking a step back, so I think it is not that likely they trade him."
Heyman's claims came shortly before Milwaukee Brewers ace Freddy Peralta was acquired by the New York Mets for two premium prospects, which impacted things for Skubal in multiple ways.
For one, it took the Mets out of the equation, but it also set the market for the repeat Cy Young winner as more than the two premium prospects New York got Peralta for. As the list of teams who could or would be willing to pull this off narrows, it all points in one direction in looking like Skubal will stay put.
There's not a team in baseball that does not want a pitcher like Skubal in their rotation, however anyone being able to meet Detroit's price of likely two premium prospects and an MLB ready rotation contributor may be a pipe dream.
Tigers May Wind Up Regretting Not Dealing Away Skubal
During his explanation, Heyman brought up both Shohei Ohtani and the Angels keeping him, as well as Mookie Betts and the Red Sox dealing him both in contract years, each decision being looked at as massive mistakes by the organization.
The reality is that there is not one correct answer in a case like this when it comes to a supremely valuable player in potentially his last year with the team, but fans in Detroit are rightfully nervous that the Tigers could come out with egg on their face here.
After not trading Skubal and not going all in to win this year, they will look pretty foolish unless they find a way to get closer to a championship in 2026 than they have in a long time.
It's a choice -- if it is indeed made to this point -- which will be evaluated and debated for years to come, and time will tell if Detroit is making the right one or not.
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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.