Why Tarik Skubal is still Tigers' best offseason trade candidate

Why Tarik Skubal is still Tigers' best offseason trade candidate originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

There is no player the rest of the Major League Baseball world is keeping a closer eye on for potential trade rumors than Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal.

He's very likely not to be traded. Moving on from such a player would be a tough sell to the fans, especially after making it to Game 5 of the ALDS. But a trade can't be ruled out just yet.

As Mark Feinsand of MLB.com notes, while the Tigers are "probably not" going to trade Skubal, there's still a non-zero chance he's traded away this offseason.

Why Tarik Skubal trade rumors can't be completely shut down

"The Tigers will likely resist the temptation to trade him," Feinsand writes, "but if they decide to dangle him out there, the offers they receive could make them think twice."

Detroit moving on from the two-time AL Cy Young would be a stunning move, no matter the circumstances surrounding a potential trade.

But this trade will most likely not unfold like the now-infamous Luka Doncic trade by the Dallas Mavericks. Trading away a superstar will never be easy to justify. But, for Scott Harris and the Tigers, there is a way to spin a Skubal trade positively.

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Detroit is not going to be able to sign him before he hits free agency. Which means that the Tigers will either hold onto him for the 2026 season and risk losing him in free agency for nothing, or trade him for a massive haul.

Baseball is a team sport comprised of individuals, and while Skubal can take over a game, there are a lot of other players who need to do their jobs.

If the Tigers received a huge offer or two and can drive the price up even more, then there's no reason not to try and see how strong a trade package a team would be willing to offer for Skubal.

Feinsand doesn't think a trade is likely, but despite that, he still believes a trade can't be ruled out due to the potential trade offers to Detroit being too much to pass up.

More Tigers News:

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• Tigers GM reveals why Detroit passed on players like Eugenio Suarez at the trade deadline

• How Tigers' GM Scott Harris might've revealed his concerning Tarik Skubal plan

• Riley Greene subtly called out by Tigers' GM amid urge for more contact