New MLB Trade Rumors on Tarik Skubal's Odds of Being Moved By Tigers Ahead of Deadline

An All-Star pitcher could be on the move at the trade deadline, but it might not be Tarik Skubal.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal said on Foul Territory on Wednesday that the New York Mets' Freddy Peralta is more likely to get moved than Skubal is.

"The Tigers have a club record payroll. They invested a lot in this season," Rosenthal said. "They're not going to want to punt so easily."

If the Tigers decide to trade Skubal, the Chicago Cubs could be his top landing spot, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Skubal and the Tigers went back and forth in contract talks for most of the offseason before he won his arbitration case and landed a $32 million salary for the 2026 season, the largest salary ever through arbitration.

That arbitration settlement only gave the Tigers one more guaranteed year of Skubal, though, as he'll be a free agent this offseason if he doesn't get a new contract before then.

Heyman reported last week that Skubal's chances of being traded are "rising" amid a skid from the Tigers. Heyman added that Detroit's chances of signing the ace to an extension "are nil."

The Tigers are currently sitting in last place in the AL Central and are six games back from the wild card. Barring a midseason turnaround, Detroit is trending toward missing the postseason.

The Tigers' hopes of sparking a big run are even lower with Skubal out. The reigning Cy Young Award winner is currently on the 15-day injured list after he underwent surgery to remove loose bodies in his left elbow.

Skubal said last week that he is still "day to day" but wants "to be back as fast as I can."

Before the injury, Skubal was 3-2 with a 2.70 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP across seven starts.

Peralta is 3-4 this year with a 3.52 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP. Considering the Mets are far from postseason contention and Peralta is on an expiring contract, it wouldn't be surprising to see a contender try to add the starter to their rotation at the deadline.

Of course, the trade deadline is still months away, so plenty can happen at this point. Whether the tides will shift enough for Detroit to keep its ace around remains to be seen.