Tarik Skubal Warns Tigers amid MLB Trade Rumors, Contract Buzz Ahead of Deadline Before Free Agency

As if the Detroit Tigers weren't feeling enough pressure to get back on track, Tarik Skubal has applied some more to the front office six weeks away from the trade deadline.

Speaking to Chris McCosky of the Detroit News, Skubal issued an "or else" warning to the Tigers if they remain near the bottom of the American League standings:

"The reality is we need to play better baseball or else, come the deadline, you give the front office an option to reassess where this team is. And if they don't think what we have is a World Series- or playoff-caliber team, then the whole team is going to look different. That's just the nature of the beast."

Skubal's future, already a huge topic of conversation coming into the season, is going to be under an intense spotlight for the next few weeks with the Tigers currently owning a 30-44 record entering play on Friday. They are nine games out of first place in the AL Central and 6.5 games out of a wild card spot.

The Tigers did get some good news on June 13 when Skubal returned from the injured list after undergoing elbow surgery six weeks earlier. He only threw 4.2 innings in a 3-1 loss to the Cleveland Guardians, but having him back was a positive step for the franchise.

Of course, that game also highlighted what has been the primary issue for the Tigers. Their offense has scored the 301 runs in 74 games, the fifth-fewest in MLB.

Skubal did tell McCosky he doesn't dwell on the deadline and speculation about his future.

"I don't think about it a lot," Skubal said. "I try not to let that consume me because I need to worry about what I'm doing today. ... But there's also the reality part to it. Everybody, the whole room, needs to focus on winningtonight's game, winning a series, winning the next series and just let it snowball."

If the Tigers continue to sit in their current position in mid-July, they would seem likely to enter sell mode leading up to the Aug. 3 deadline.

Skubal would be the primary target for every contending team and could bring back a significant return, despite only being under contract through the rest of this season before hitting free agency.

The reigning two-time AL Cy Young winner, Skubal hasn't been as dominant in eight starts this season as he was in the previous two years. He still has strong numbers with a 2.81 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 48.0 innings.

As Skubal continues to build himself back up after missing time, his value will only increase if he starts to look like the pitcher he was in 2024 and 2025.