Updated Tarik Skubal Trade Rumors on Tigers' Value and Expectations for Star Pitcher

Even though the Detroit Tigers are willing to hear offers on Tarik Skubal, their expectation remains that they'll retain the two-time AL Cy Young winner through the offseason.

Per ESPN's Buster Olney, the Tigers have put a "very high price tag" on Skubal in a trade and people in the organization expect he "will be in their camp at the outset of spring training."

With Skubal heading into his final year of arbitration, the Tigers are under some pressure to win in 2026. They do have the ability to trade him during the season if they fall out of contention, but his value will be limited by that point because he will be even closer to free agency.

The closest recent parallel to Skubal's situation is the Juan Soto trade two years ago when he was dealt from the San Diego Padres to the New York Yankees. New York sent five players, including Michael King and pitching prospect Drew Thorpe, to San Diego in exchange for Soto and Trent Grisham.

Soto was entering his final year of team control, so the Padres were able to get a top-100 prospect (Thorpe) and an MLB-ready pitcher with tremendous upside who had two years of control remaining before free agency (King).

Even though the Tigers have been fairly quiet this offseason, they have every reason to be optimistic about their chances of making the playoffs. The AL Central is a mess right now with none of the teams at the top appearing interested in getting better.

The Chicago White Sox made the most interesting move in the division so far with their signing of Munetaka Murakami, but they are starting from such a low point after losing 102 games in 2025 that they are likely another year or two away from contending.

Detroit, meanwhile, can bank on having the best pitcher in the AL leading its rotation and a strong farm system that could graduate shortstop Kevin McGonigle and center fielder Max Clark to the big leagues early in 2026.

The Tigers have made the playoffs in each of the past two years and took the Seattle Mariners to five games in the ALDS last season.