Tarik Skubal Makes Clear What He Wants Before Trade Deadline

With the trade deadline right around the corner, uncertainties about Tarik Skubal's future in Detroit come into question.

Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal walks off the mound. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Tarik Skubal trade saga has lasted far too long for any Detroit Tigers fan's liking. Fortunately, the answer will become clear no later than Aug. 3.

Whether Skubal gets traded or not remains to be seen. The Tigers enter the weekend with a 49-54 record, and the lefty ace will toe the rubber for Detroit on Friday.

The Tigers are six games back in the American League Central and are four games back of a wild-card spot. A playoff push is still possible, but nothing is off the table.

Skubal Makes it Clear He Wants to Stay in Detroit

Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal throws. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Skubal erased all doubts about where he wants to be. Per ESPN, Skubal said, "Going into spring training and the offseason, I've never been more motivated to try and win a World Series for this city, the team that drafted me and helped develop me. That's always the goal, and that will never change unless I'm told I'm on a different team."

The Tigers have been playing better baseball as of late. A World Series push is ambitious, but a return to the postseason isn't out of the cards. Their recent surge leaves the front office with a difficult decison ahead of the trade deadline.

On one hand, Skubal gives your team a chance to win every time he takes the mound. With a formidable starting rotation and an improving offense, it would be difficult to trade away a superstar ace. But Scott Harris also has to look ahead to the future, and a Skubal trade guarantees you don't lose him for nothing.

Would the Tigers Be Making a Mistake by Trading Skubal?

A Detroit Tigers fan holds a sign urging pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) to remain with the team. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Skubal has captured the hearts of this fan base. There isn't an easy answer to this issue that's dated back to the offseason. The 29-year-old will be a free agent at the end of the season, and there are no shortage of suitors eager to acquire Skubal.

A recent report says the Tigers are looking for an impact pitcher with multiple years of control, along with quality prospects. It's a high price, but teams would be willing to pay. Theoretically, Detroit could still compete without Skubal, but the starting rotation would obviously lack a "true ace."

Skubal's belief in the team has never wavered. He added, "That belief in this team has never changed throughout the season. Obviously, we put ourselves in a tough situation, but I think we've come out of that situation playing really good baseball."

So, Detroit's front office has a franchise-altering decision to make. Deal Skubal in a league-shattering trade and secure talent for the future, or keep him for a postseason run and risk losing him for nothing in free agency.