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The Detroit Tigers may have a top trade chip in Tarik Skubal at the deadline. However, that comes with a slight catch.

The Detroit Tigers find themselves slumping a little bit in the month of May. They recently had a five-game losing streak, which they were able to snap on Sunday, but it came right on the heels of Detroit having to place back-to-back American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal on the injured list.

Skubal had loose bodies in his pitching elbow and underwent surgery to clean them out. The Tigers don’t expect him to miss the rest of the season, but it’s going to take a while before he returns. This could hurt his chances of signing a long-term contract in free agency, as well as hurt Detroit’s chances of bringing back a haul for him at the trade deadline.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today lists the Tigers as a team to watch at the trade deadline and named Skubal as somebody who could be on the block, but with a small catch.

“The Tigers would have the most marquee player on the trade block with Skubal since the San Diego Padres traded Juan Soto to the Yankees,” Nightengale wrote. “The question is just how much could the Tigers get for Skubal, who has now had three arm surgeries on his career, is earning $32 million, and certainly will be seeking a free agent contract exceeding $400 million?”

Tarik Skubal Trade Chatter Comes With Caveat

The Tigers are 19-22 on the season, but are very close in the American League Central, sitting just 1 1/2 games behind the first place Cleveland Guardians.

That would make it seem unlikely that Detroit will actually go through with trading him. If they decide not to trade him, there might be some advantages, as Kiley McDaniel of ESPN predicts that Skubal will sign a short-term deal in the offseason.

However, if they are out of contention, teams may think twice about selling some of their top prospects for just a few months of Skubal, especially given his injury history.

The Tigers could still get something good for him in terms of prospects, but the haul likely will not be as much as it could have been if Skubal hadn’t gone on the injured list, and that’s only if Detroit falls out contention.

That is certainly possible though after their five-game losing streak and late-season collapse in 2025, when they lost a 15 1/2 game lead over the Guardians and were forced into a wild card spot.

How Likely Is A Skubal Trade?

The likelihood of a Skubal trade depends on where the Tigers are in the standings. The Guardians would have to get hot and run away from the rest of the pack for Detroit to even consider it.

Because the division is so weak and Detroit is so close, a trade is probably unlikely. One general manager believes that this will ultimately not happen.

“I just think they have too much money invested in this team to give up,” the executive told Nightengale. “I just can’t see them moving Skubal. They’re into this so deep.”

It will be interesting to see where Detroit is in the standings in a few months.