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ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 29: Tarik Skubal #29 of the Detroit Tigers pitches in the second inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on April 29, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The Detroit Tigers are going to be the team that everybody watches at the trade deadline this year. They have Tarik Skubal, who is set to become a free agent at the end of the season. The left-hander recently recovered very quickly from an elbow surgery and is back with the team, while also boosting his trade value.
However, the sweepstakes may have potentially hit a bit of a snag. While that may seem impossible given where the Tigers are in the standings, there may be some hope for them to turn things around.
As a result, Mike Petriello of MLB.com believes that there is a chance that the Tigers ultimately do not trade Tarik Skubal based on how they have played in the month of June since he returned.
The sharks are already circling around the two-time defending AL Cy Young Award winner, who is also, importantly, an impending free agent,” Petriello wrote. “That’s especially true given how good and healthy he’s looked since his improbably fast return from elbow surgery. With the Trade Deadline six weeks away and the 33-44 Tigers among the season’s biggest disappointments, we’re already starting to hear about which teams may be in the mix for Skubal, as though the truth of a trade is a foregone conclusion and that he’ll be pitching in Atlanta or Chicago or New York by the end of the summer.”
“There’s only one problem with that, really. What if the Tigers already are playing better baseball — and the idea of a trade isn’t such as much of a given as it may seem?
After all, the Tigers have quietly gotten things back on the right track in June.”
Tigers Have Played Better Lately
The Tigers have the third-best record in Major League Baseball since the start of June, having gone 11-6. They have posted a 3.12 ERA in that span as well, as Petriello notes.
The Tigers are still well below the .500 mark. They are 11 games under at 33-44, but are also just five games behind in the wild card race, while having won three straight games.
As of right now, it looks very likely that they will trade Skubal to a contender, but nothing is ever certain in baseball, and things can always change at the drop of a hat, so it will be interesting to see what they are able to do between now and the trade deadline, especially concerning Skubal.
Tigers May Not Be Done Yet
The American League is so weak this year that the Tigers do still have a shot, and if they keep playing good baseball, perhaps they can snatch the final wild card spot.
In that case, it wouldn’t make any sense to trade Skubal, as they would need him to try and make a push for the postseason. It’s also important to remember that the Tigers were well below .500 in August of 2024, but still managed to fight back and earn a wild card spot.
That is never out of the realm of possibility, so it will be interesting to see if they can turn things around.
Curt Bishop Curt Bishop is a freelance sports writer who has written for various outlets including Heavy Sports, Sports Illustrated, FanSided, The Sporting News, Newsweek and Yardbarker. His work entails mostly breaking and trending news with a concentration on Major League Baseball (MLB). Curt graduated from Maryville University of St. Louis with a bachelor's degree in communications with a focus on emerging and new media, as well as a music minor. More about Curt Bishop