Tigers Wild Trade Proposal Sees Ace Tarik Skubal Dealt to American League Foe
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The Detroit Tigers head into the offseason with one giant looming question hanging over them, and it's one the entire league will be monitoring.
Though most reporting -- not to mention conventional wisdom -- has pointed to the Tigers keeping their repeat American League Cy Young ace Tarik Skubal through next season, the idea of trading him now, at least, makes some sense.
Skubal is going to be a free agent in 2027, and by all accounts, an extension is not happening. If Detroit was going to trade him, some destinations would of course be preferable to others. One listed suitor in a recent article from R.J. Anderson of CBS Sports would be downright absurd in the Seattle Mariners.
Mariners Listed as Logical Landing Spot for Skubal
"The Mariners have done well to load up on young positional talent, be it catcher Harry Ford; infielders Cole Young, Colt Emerson, Michael Arroyo, or Felnin Celesten; or outfielders Lazaro Montes or Jonny Farmelo," Anderson wrote. "Seattle has also emerged as one of the savviest organizations in the sport at pitching development. Predictably, the Mariners have plenty of flowering arms to spare: No. 3 pick Kade Anderson, switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje, and right-hander Ryan Sloan included."
Though Anderson raises some very fair points about Seattle's interest, not to mention how equipped they are to go out and land him, the Tigers trading Skubal away to a team they were just eliminated in the playoffs would be an absolutely brutal look.
Detroit is trying to take the next step as an American League contender and potentially compete again for a pennant next year. Strengthening a team that is trying to do the same is simply bad business.
Tigers Should Not Trade Skubal at All
While the argument for trading Skubal now for a giant haul of prospects rather than watching him walk away from no more than a draft pick a year from now is a sound one, it's not reason enough for Detroit to actually make the move.
They proved beyond a shadow of a doubt this season that when at their best, they are capable of getting to a World Series and potentially even winning it. If the Tigers are serious about winning a championship as they say, then they need to go for it right here and right now.
Surrounding Skubal with a boatload of talent and making a huge push next season would be their best chance at getting it done, not trading him away and losing a full season for prospects who may or may not wind up panning out.
Detroit has the rare benefit of having the best pitcher on the planet leading them out there every fifth day, and letting that go for any amount of time, let alone a full season, when you are contending for a title is absurd.
Barring an absolutely mammoth offer that makes the Tigers better in 2026 rather than years down the line, they should absolutely hold onto Skubal and try to win now.
Should and will are two different things though, and time will tell which path they choose.
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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.