MLB Teams Expect Tarik Skubal Trade to Be Explored, Mariners, Mets, Red Sox Linked
Teams around MLB believe the Detroit Tigers "will seriously consider" trading ace Tarik Skubal if they receive a compelling offer, according to ESPN's Buster Olney.
Olney added that "there is every reason to expect a significant bidding war for Skubal" and listed the Seattle Mariners, New York Mets and Boston Red Sox as potential buyers.
Olney's colleague Jesse Rogers reported he has heard divided opinions over how the Tigers might handle Skubal.
"Even if he's headed for free agency in a year, some believe the Tigers can still squeeze another playoff season out of him and then reassess under perhaps a new economic climate in baseball. Others believe Tigers president Scott Harris is too smart to let him walk for nothing more than draft pick compensation (under the current system), with the hope that whomever he might get in return helps the Tigers in 2026 and not just in the long term."
Skubal led all American League pitchers in WAR for the second straight season, per Baseball Reference, and he posted a sub-3.00 ERA for the third successive year. Across 31 appearances, he went 13-6 with a 2.45 FIP and an MLB-best 0.891 FIP.
The southpaw has also been brilliant during Detroit's 2024 and 2025 playoff runs. In 39.2 total innings, he allowed nine earned runs and struck out 56 batters.
Despite his contract status, Skubal could fetch the Tigers a massive haul in an offseason light on top-tier pitchers in free agency.
Detroit could of course sign the 2024 Cy Young winner to an extension and make all of this moot. That would require closing a massive divide as the New York Post's Jon Heyman reported on Oct. 16 the two sides are separated by $250 million.
The Tigers would get a compensatory pick by letting Skubal play out the season and then walk. Making a deep playoff run with him in the rotation would mean additional revenue and more goodwill from fans. Those two things can't be overlooked necessarily.
Given both his trade value and what he'll earn on his next deal, the safe money is on Skubal pitching elsewhere by the next Opening Day. The Tigers, however, might be content to hold onto him, even if they have little hope of keeping him in the Motor City beyond 2026.
