The Detroit Tigers made a couple useful additions at the MLB trade deadline, acquiring RP Kyle Finnegan from the Washington Nationals and SP Charlie Morton from the Baltimore Orioles. Both should play significant roles down the stretch, with Morton joining one of the AL's better rotations and Finnegan picking up saves out of the bullpen. Both are free agents this winter, though.
That brings us to the Tarik Skubal of it all. Skubal has one more year left on his rookie contract. In 2027, barring catastrophe, he will become the highest-paid pitcher in MLB history. The talented lefty is rolling toward his second straight Cy Young award and he's a big reason so many folks still have confidence in the Tigers as a contender.
And yet, based on how GM Scott Harris and Tigers ownership tend to operate, it's fair to wonder if Skubal's tenure with the organization will even extend beyond 2025 — much less 2026. Maybe Detroit rides this all the way to the end, but if there's zero intention to pay him $300 million-plus into his late 30s, well... someone else will.
Harris' comments on the Tigers' trade deadline won't inspire much confidence in the fanbase.
#Tigers POBO Scott Harris does not believe in a Tarik Skubal window: "I think this idea of a window is an illusion."
— Evan Petzold (@EvanPetzold) July 31, 2025
Skubal is a free agent after the 2026 season.
Here's what Harris said: pic.twitter.com/IhSPictlFl
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Scott Harris' lack of aggression spells doom for Tarik Skubal's Tigers tenure
"I think this idea of a window is an illusion," Harris said when asked about the urgency to build around Skubal (h/t Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press). "I think there's a lot of talent in this organization. There are a lot of players on this team who are in it for the right reasons, who are playing for each other, and they're playing for the city of Detroit. They've done some special things. From All-Star break to All-Star break, we have the most wins in Major League Baseball. Tarik Skubal is certainly leading the way, and he has been leading the way here, but there are a lot of really talented players, both in the big leagues right now and that are coming through this really talented system."
Harris claims he is not "shorting the present for the future," but his decisions say otherwise. Detroit did not push for Eugenio Suárez, Dylan Cease or other available stars in a serious way. The Tigers' desire to thread the needle between winning games and preserving cash is well-documented. Harris is great at building winners on a budget, but that caps your upside eventually. Detroit is always going to be outspent.
"I'm not looking at this as a window," Harris continued. "It doesn't mean that I'm shorting the present for the future by any means, but this whole idea of a window is not really filtering into my head because it's my job to get to the postseason every single year if I can. We're off to a good start. We got there last year. We have a nine-game lead in the AL Central right now, and we just got a whole lot better today. We're going to keep chugging along. We're going to keep winning as many games as we can and try to make good decisions to make sure that the city of Detroit can enjoy playoff baseball for as many years as possible."
Tigers' team-building strategy puts Tarik Skubal in 2026 trade talks
Maybe Detroit rides with Skubal until the wheels fall off in 2027 free agency. But Harris continues to express confidence in the Tigers' strong farm system. He continues to preach the merits of "good decisions," which is code for not overspending. Skubal's next contract probably won't age well. Most 10-plus year, $300 million-plus contracts don't. And yet, there's a reason the Dodgers and the Yankees were in the World Series last autumn. Because shelling out for true superstars in their prime is what separates the big markets from the "well-run organizations." One type historically succeeds far more than the other.
Skubal feels destined to end up in L.A. or New York after next season. Might the Tigers consider expediting that with a trade at the deadline, thus recouping significant value to rebuild the roster in his absence? It sure sounds better than coming up short in the playoffs a couple more times and then watching Skubal leave for nothing.