Tigers Need to Make Smart Decision on Trading Tarik Skubal

The Detroit Tigers front office needs to not fumble this decision.

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) walks off the mound against the Baltimore Orioles at Comerica Park in Detroit on Wednesday, July 29, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Detroit Tigers are about to have to make a really hard decision on ace Tarik Skubal and it needs to be the correct one.

The Tigers just lost back-to-back series to the Kansas City Royals and Baltimore Orioles and keep slipping in the American League Wild Card playoff picture.

And with losing series to two teams that they should have had no problem beating, their hard decision coming up needs to be an easy one. They need to go ahead and trade ace Tarik Skubal and get something for him.

If the Tigers front office fumbles this decision it could haunt them forever

Detroit Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Skubal is going to walk as a free agent at the end of this season since his contract is up. Skubal is not going to re-sign in Detroit as his agent Scott Boras likes to play hardball with his clients.

The Tigers know that their ace is not going to end up re-signing in Detroit and they would look bad for letting the veteran walk for no return. They need to call every contender in the American League and National League and see what their best offer is.

They need to make sure they get something of value that will help them and manager AJ Hinch in the future. They also might be dealing veteran Casey Mize so these returns that the Tigers get for their players need to be maximized.

Teams are not going to be seriously overpaying knowing that Skubal is a rental. But the Tigers need to gather every teams best offer and take one of them so they get something for him rather than letting him walk for nothing.

There have been plenty of instances in sports where teams knew that their veteran player was not coming back at the end of the season. And said front office let some of them walk for nothing and they immediately regretted that decision.

The Tigers and their staff and front office are going to regret it if they cannot find a reliable suitor for Skubal and then he leaves in free agency. Skubal had said he wanted to stay and try to make up ground and make the playoffs with Detroit.

But the fact that they lost two series to teams that they should have had no issues beating, speaks to what direction the Tigers need to be considering. It is sad that Skubal has to be traded, but it must be done for the better of the Tigers and their future.