Tarik Skubal said what every Tigers fan was thinking about Yankees interest

From the moment the possibility of the Detroit Tigers trading ace Tarik Skubal was floated, New York Yankees fans began circling like vultures. Make no mistake, there's no reason the Yankees or any other contender shouldn't be interested in trading for Skubal, even if it's only a one-year rental. However, FanSided insider Robert Murray, among others, have warned that a Skubal trade isn't all that likely — and the star left-hander is seemingly feeling the same way about that.

At the end of the day, Skubal leaving the Tigers, whether via trade or after the 2026 season in free agency is clearly not what the electric southpaw wants. He's done nothing but show loyalty and love to Detroit, even as the trade rumors have swirled. It's all about the money, but even the fact that the Tigers are reportedly far off from the number he'll be looking for in his next contract doesn't have Skubal already dreaming or thinking about greener pastures like New York.

Tarik Skubal is committed to Detroit for as long as they return the favor

There is no shortage of instances in which we've seen star players involved in trade rumors appear as if they already have one foot out the door. Skubal, however, is doing nothing of the sort. Case in point, he was recently at an appearance and a fan held out a New York Yankees hat for him to sign. Skubal didn't mince words as he declined to give his signature, saying, "Get out of here, that's not my hat."

I'm sure there will be some people in the vocal minority yelling about how he just needs to give his autograph to fans. That's just plain malarkey. Skubal is still a member of the Detroit Tigers, and while that may not be the case for too much longer, regardless of if he's traded or not, he's behaving like a franchise cornerstone that he has been and would undoubtedly continue to be in the Motor City.

And really, this only highlights why the Skubal trade rumors are so painful for the Tigers and specifically the fans. This isn't a case of a star player wanting to go play in a bigger market because he wants to be a bigger star. It's dollars and cents getting in the way of a player who has done nothing but lay it all on the line for Detroit throughout his entire career and who clearly intends on continuing to do so for as long as the Tigers keep him in the building.

Tigers fans have been fighting off trade rumors or dreams from Yankees fans and big market fans alike, so it's got to be refreshing to see that Skubal is essentially doing the same. His hat still has the Old English "D" on it, and he's not thinking about anything else.

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Tigers owe it to fans to make a serious run at retaining Tarik Skubal

Because Skubal is signed with super-agent Scott Boras, an extension was always going to be unlikely. Boras is infamous for all but demanding that his players, especially ones with the pedigree and profile of Skubal, hit the open market in free agency in order to get the most money out of any negotiations. That's surely going to be the same for the back-to-back Cy Young winner too.

At the same time, that shouldn't just automatically mean that the Tigers trade him to avoid losing him. Yes, there is some merit to that idea with other players in similar circumstances. If it's abundantly clear that a player is going to leave an organization in free agency and leave their former team empty-handed, then getting something back in a trade is just good business to help the future.

That doesn't have to be the case with Detroit, though. While they haven't historically — and may not currently be able to — spent like the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers and so on, ownership does have the ability to splurge on a franchise cornerstone like Skubal, even if they aren't able to do anything close to that every offseason.

More importantly, whether it's not signing a Yankees hat or most of what else he's done, Skubal has indicated that he doesn't want to leave Detroit. So if the star doesn't want to play for a team other than the Tigers, and there is money available, even if an uncomfortable amount, to pay him, then the Tigers brass owes it to Skubal and the fans alike to make a true effort in goodwill to retain him, even if that's competing on the open market next offseason.

Unfortunately, that doesn't mean things will materialize as such. Even if ESPN's Jeff Passan noted that the gap between Detroit and Skubal might not be as big as some of the hundreds of millions of dollars that had been previously been reported, the insider still called the latest extension offer from the Tigers a "wide chasm" from the deal that the southpaw will eventually sign. Things can change, but it doesn't seem like Detroit has truly buckled down seriously about retaining their star pitcher.

But the simple truth is that they should — and, in fact, they also might simply be obligated to. Skubal's love for Detroit doesn't guarantee a "hometown" discount or that he would ultimately not choose to play for another team if the Tigers got much closer to the asking price. However, the Tigers would be slapping fans in the face if they weren't willing to leave their comfort zone to keep a generational talent in the building in this instance.