Why Tigers Aren’t Engaging with Tarik Skubal Trade Suitors — Yet

The Detroit Tigers know they have to trade Tarik Skubal. Other teams know it, too. So what’s the hold-up?

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

The proof is undeniable. The Detroit Tigers must trade Tarik Skubal before Monday's deadline.

After flirting with getting back in the playoff picture, it's clear Detroit doesn't have enough to get over the hump unless it makes major trade moves of its own. That would mean sacrificing prospects that could be a part of their future, perhaps too many.

Skubal is clearly poised to test the market in free agency — once there is a market to test — this coming offseason. His agent, Scott Boras, wants him to become baseball's first $400 million pitcher. The Tigers have signaled they cannot afford that.

On Saturday, that's where the Tigers were. Yet, as USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported, the Tigers have not seriously engaged with the market. Why is that? Because right now, the Tigers don't have to.

Tigers Waiting Out Tarik Skubal Market

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The market has been unusually slow this trade deadline. Only a few teams have engaged in trades, and no major moves have been made so far. Part of that is likely because the Tigers have been slow to engage on Skubal. Detroit president of baseball operations knows there is a market for the left-hander, regardless of how long he waits.

There will be several teams willing to fork over a fortune in prospects to get him. The Los Angeles Dodgers are seen as the clear front-runner because of its imposing farm system. Detroit will want major assets in return. The Dodgers are the team that has them — and they’re not going anywhere, in part because some of their starting pitchers are injured or have been injured this season.

There’s another reason — the top of the market has moved in a different way than it was before the All-Star break. Consider The Athletic’s (subscription required) Top 75 trade targets list. Skubal is at the top. Right behind him is Minnesota’s Joe Ryan. The Twins have moved within a few games of the AL Central lead and are just outside of the Wild Card race. They’re buying. Ryan isn’t going anywhere

Next is Boston’s Sonny Gray. A month ago, the Red Sox were going nowhere. After a massive winning streak, Boston probably isn't going to move Gray, even though the return would be high.

The next three starters on the list are a pair of Los Angeles Angels — Jose Soriano and Reid Detmers — and Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman. They're solid pitchers, but they are nowhere in Skubal’s league. Gausman is the closest, but he can be had for far less return. Plus, both teams are out of the playoff race. They’re selling. But they are also fallback options for those that really want Skubal.

The two-time Cy Young winner is holding up the pitching market. That's a good thing for Harris in terms of negotiation. That means he could get the biggest possible return for him. But he has a needle he must thread between waiting long enough and waiting too long. That's why Nightengale also reported that the Tigers are likely to start engaging with the market on Sunday. It's just enough time to swing a big deal, and not so much time that the suitors for their ace look for other options.