Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- Several Detroit Tigers stars could be on the move before the August 3 trade deadline as the team navigates a lost season.
- Injury concerns and contract timelines make this a pivotal moment for the Tigers' front office to reset their timeline.
- The potential destinations for these players reveal how quickly contending teams are looking to upgrade for a playoff push this year.
As the Detroit Tigers navigate injury turbulence in what increasingly feels like a lost season, Tarik Skubal isn't the only star who could end up on the trade block ahead of the Aug. 3 deadline.
This feels like a crossroads moment for the Tigers front office. As they prepare to start a new chapter post-Skubal, here are potential landing spots for several of Detroit's biggest stars.
RHP Kenley Jansen
Destination: St. Louis Cardinals
Kenley Jansen inked a one-year, $11 million contract to join the Tigers in the offseason. His subsequent struggles shouldn't come as a huge surprise: He's 38 years old, and even relievers have a finite shelf life in MLB. That said, Jansen's track record of consistent excellence — plus some encouraging underlying metrics — mean we probably shouldn't buy wholesale into his inflated 5.02 ERA.
Jansen has 19 strikeouts in 14.1 innings with a low opponent batting average (.176) and a healthy 34.4 percent hard-hit rate. He's due for some positive regression, and every contender needs bullpen help, so Detroit should be able to find a suitor.
The Cardinals are in an interesting position, having spent all winter stockpiling prospects and shedding bad money only to wind up on a contending track. If there's a clear weak spot in St. Louis' roster right now, it's the bullpen — particularly the high-leverage spots in front of ace closer Riley O'Brien. Jansen could prove to be a helpful half-season rental as the Cardinals quickly accelerate their timeline.
RHP Casey Mize
Destination: Chicago Cubs
Casey Mize has been Detroit's best non-Skubal pitcher this season, with a sterling 2.47 ERA and 0.99 WHIP across eight starts and 43.2 innings. The metrics back it all up; Mize made the All-Star leap in 2025, and he's taking another transformative step forward in 2026.
The 29-year-old righty still has a couple more years of club control, so Detroit won't be anxious to trade him — especially with Skubal on his way out, either at the deadline or in free agency. That said, if Detroit is resetting its timeline and embracing a forward-thinking approach, a strong enough offer could get them to budge.
Chicago is an obvious landing spot. The Cubs are dealing with injuries to Matthew Boyd and Cade Horton, with the latter's being season-ending. Shōta Imanaga and Edward Cabrera are also going through rough patches. Mize can come in and stabilize the middle of the rotation, while improving the Cubs' depth for a postseason push.
OF Kerry Carpenter
Destination: Cincinnati Reds
Kerry Carpenter landed on the IL recently with a seemingly minor shoulder injury, but he shouldn't miss enough time to severely impact his trade stock. Also under club control for two additional years, Carpenter could generate significant trade appeal as the ultimate platoon weapon — a destroyer of worlds against right-handed pitching who posted an .812 OPS in such matchups last season.
The 28-year-old is already up to a .750 OPS with six home runs in 102 plate appearances in 2026. He's a nonfactor against left-handed pitching and he's a drag in the outfield, which probably means he soaks up DH reps wherever he lands. Even with his limitations, however, the situational value is enough to spark interest.
Cincinnati made a run at Kyle Schwarber in free agency. Carpenter is basically the Dollar Store version. Eugenio Suárez would need to spend more time at third base, but the Reds could use another significant power source somewhere in the lineup behind Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart. Carpenter boosts Cincy in the short term and he has a chance to stick around a while.
OF Riley Greene
Destination: New York Mets
Riley Green is enjoying a special offensive season, hitting .311 with an .854 OPS and 142 OPS+. He still strikes out a bunch, but Greene has noticeably tightened the screws on his approach. While that's come at the expense of some of his pop, Greene sprays hard-hit line drives all over the field and exhibits the patience to work long counts. His walk rate is up over five points (12.6 percent) from last season (7.0 percent).
Detroit has Greene locked up through 2028 and a trade feels extremely unlikely, especially midseason. That said, the Mets are equipped with the prospect capital (and the desperation) to engineer a true blockbuster.
David Stearns needs to shake things up after a disastrous offseason. The Mets are completely devoid of dependable offensive contributors right now aside from Juan Soto and a few sporadic outbursts from AJ Ewing, Carson Benge and their next generation. Greene gives the Mets a monster upgrade in the third or fourth spot. If Francisco Lindor gets healthy and Bo Bichette remembers who he is, suddenly the Mets boast the firepower to turn their campaign around. Greene would be worth the long-term investment, too, even if this is a lost season in Queens.
LHP Tarik Skubal
Destination: Los Angeles Dodgers
The Tigers made a clear push to build a contender around Skubal in his final year under contract, but he's hurt now and their major offseason move — the monster three-year Framber Valdez signing — has blown up in spectacular fashion. That means Skubal could end up on the move. Detroit has nothing but pride to save by keeping Skubal through the end of a noncompetitive season, as he is almost guaranteed to sign elsewhere as a free agent.
Even with the elbow injury, it appears that Skubal will be back in the saddle and near 100 percent capacity for the stretch run. Plenty of teams will fork over major prospects for a half-season rental of MLB's most dependable ace. That said, Detroit probably gets the most from a team with the financial resources to re-sign Skubal.
As such, the Dodgers are the most obvious landing spot. Always have been. The rotation isn't necessarily a huge need for L.A., especially with Rōki Sasaki turning a corner, but Skubal boosts the Dodgers' World Series odds and money is no object for that ownership group. As a cherry on top, the Dodgers boast arguably the deepest farm system in baseball, with a ton of talented young bats and arms to woo Detroit's front office.
More MLB news and analysis:
Add us as a preferred source on Google