Tarik Skubal trade question hangs over Tigers as ace says he wants to stay
Tarik Skubal said he wants to finish the year in Detroit, but the Tigers have until Aug. 3 to decide whether to deal their ace.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Tarik Skubal trade chatter is no background noise in Detroit anymore: the Tigers ace said Thursday he wants to finish the season with the club and chase a World Series, while admitting his next outing could be his last for the team.
Skubal, according to the Associated Press, made his stance clear as Detroit weighs one of the biggest decisions of its season. The Tigers have until Aug. 3 to choose whether to keep the two-time Cy Young Award winner or move him in a potential blockbuster built around players and prospects.
Skubal can become a free agent after the World Series, according to the AP, which adds urgency to Detroit’s call. A trade would be about the future. Keeping him would be about the chase right now.
What did Tarik Skubal say about a Tigers trade?
Skubal said he believes Detroit can still win the World Series, a view he told reporters has stayed with him since spring training. He said the Tigers had put themselves in a difficult spot but had responded by playing strong baseball.
He also tied his goal to the city and the franchise that selected and developed him. Skubal said his aim has been to win a World Series for Detroit and that it would remain that way unless he is told he has joined another team.
The 29-year-old is scheduled to face the Kansas City Royals on Friday night at Comerica Park. Asked about the chance that start could be his final one for the Tigers, Skubal acknowledged that possibility, while also noting that another home start would be due five days later if he remains with Detroit.
Where do the Tigers stand with Skubal?
Detroit’s season has left the front office with a tricky call. The Tigers were 22-38 at the start of June, according to the AP, but their turnaround has put them back in the playoff picture as the deadline approaches.
Skubal’s own season has included a quick return from elbow surgery. The AP reported he had a loose body removed from his pitching elbow on May 6 and came back to pitch on June 13.
Skubal described the surgery as going the way it was expected to go, while downplaying whether “remarkable” was the right word for the comeback.
His numbers make the decision even louder. Skubal is 6-5 with a 2.83 ERA, according to the AP, and Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said the attention around him exists because “he’s really good.”
For Detroit, the question is blunt: keep one of baseball’s best pitchers for a postseason push, or cash in before he can test free agency after the World Series. Skubal has said where he wants to be. The Tigers now have days to decide whether they agree.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.