Time isn't on Scott Harris side as Tigers waste Tarik Skubal's window
The Detroit Tigers snapped a nine-year drought to make the playoffs in the 2024 season thanks in large part to the team's ace, Tarik Skubal. The 28-year-old led the league in wins (18), ERA (2.39), and strikeouts (228), winning the Triple Crown and, obviously, the American League Cy Young award as well.
The Tigers fell short in the postseason, falling in a winner-take-all ALDS game against the Cleveland Guardians, but it felt as if this past season was just the start of a run of success for a team that had lacked it over the past decade. With smart and aggressive offseason moves, Tigers fans had reason to believe they'd be in the thick of things in the American League in 2025.
Unfortunately, it feels as if Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris is doing whatever he can to waste Detroit's window with Skubal, a pitcher who is only under club control for two more seasons, on the team.
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Scott Harris is wasting Tarik Skubal window with lackluster offseason
So far, the only players Harris has signed to MLB contracts are Alex Cobb and Gleyber Torres, who both inked one-year commitments. Now, there's a chance that one or both of these deals can prove to be worthwhile value-wise - there's rarely such a thing as a bad one-year deal - however, are these really the big moves the Tigers want to make coming off such a strong season?
I'm not here to say the Tigers should've gone all out to sign Juan Soto or traded for Kyle Tucker on an expiring contract, but their "big" moves are clear gambles. They're hoping Torres bounces back, coming off a down year in 2024. They're hoping Cobb, a pitcher who was considering retirement, stays healthy enough to help them get to and advance in the postseason.
Now, it's fair to note that a player that the Tigers have been linked to all winter, Alex Bregman, is still a free agent. However, it's late January, and no deal has ever appeared to be close. If the Tigers sign him, Harris will have done his job. If they don't, and fail to pivot to a guy like Pete Alonso or an unexpected trade, he will have failed.
This Tigers team made the playoffs despite ranking 19th in runs scored, 24th in home runs, and 23rd in OPS. They have good pieces like Kerry Carpenter, Riley Greene, and Colt Keith, but it's very clear when looking at their lineup that they lack another big-time slugger, particularly one who is right-handed. Bregman and Alonso fit that mold of exactly what they need. They've got money to spend based on where their payroll is, and yet, they're acting incredibly reserved.
With only two more guaranteed years of Skubal, this is the time for Detroit to strike. Sure, a Bregman contract might not look great in four or five years, but if the Tigers win a World Series with Skubal, who cares? If Harris' Tigers underperform in the next two years due to his lack of aggression, he might not even be with the team for much longer.
The time to win is now, and it's time for Harris to start acting like it before he inevitably runs out of time with arguably the best pitcher in the sport.