The Detroit Tigers have hit a major bump in the road in their quest to get back to the World Series for the first time since 2012. Detroit has lost eight of its last nine games at the worst possible time, as the MLB trade deadline is just over a week away. Will the Tigers maintain the same level of urgency and the win-now approach that has helped get them to this point? That's a question for Scott Harris to answer, especially with Tarik Skubal's free agency on the horizon in 2026.
Skubal is the best pitcher in the American League and the favorite to win his second-straight Cy Young award. The 28-year-old has 4.9 bWAR and is pacing for an even better season than his 2024 campaign. Skubal is a bonafide MVP candidate in an era when winning the award is borderline impossible to win as a starting pitcher. Yet, when Skubal hits the open market following the 2026 season – assuming the Boras client doesn't sign an extension before then – he is likely to receive a record-breaking contract from the Tigers or another team.
That, in part, is what makes the Tigers trade deadline strategy all the more frustrating.
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Tigers trade deadline strategy won't be enough to win a World Series
While it's unclear if Harris adjusted the Tigers deadline approach due to their recent struggles, Detroit crashing back down to earth surely hasn't helped convince him to go all-in. In Jeff Passan's recent deadline column, he listed some contenders like the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs as all-in. While the Tigers are projected to add, they are not in that same category. That should trouble Tigers fans who want to make the most of Skubal's tenure in Motown. If Skubal does leave after the 2026 season, there's little guarantee the Tigers will be able to replace him. Surely Harris knows this.
"The Tigers pulled off the rare trick of trading players at the deadline and still making the playoffs last season. This season is the first in what the Tigers hope will be an extended run of excellence, and with manager A.J. Hinch in a groove writing the lineup every day, Tarik Skubal making his case for the best pitcher in baseball and the whole of the Tigers better than the sum of their parts, Detroit doesn't need to do much to be favored for its first pennant since 2012," Passan wrote.
Why aren't the Tigers going all-in at the trade deadline with Tarik Skubal?
The sustained run of excellence is the point Passan is trying to make here. The Tigers don't believe their window will shut when Skubal leaves. While that may very well be the case, it's a risky bet to assume they'll be able to field a more complete team without Skubal.
Detroit isn't used to being in this position as a mid-market team. If they were to go all-in, their best target would be Eugenio Suarez, who would give them an immediate power upgrade at third base on an expiring contract. The Tigers also need bullpen help and an additional rotation arm. Both of these latter needs have become more evident during their recent losing streak. Passan linked Pirates closer David Bednar to Detroit as their best trade fit. However, Bednar alone won't be enough to lead Detroit to the promised land, and give them a realistic shot at keeping Skubal in the year-plus to come.