Tigers' Tarik Skubal trade deadline prediction would be major risk

1 hour ago 1

The Detroit Tigers might be the most talked-about team at the 2026 MLB trade deadline. The reason has everything to do with Tarik Skubal and what the Tigers do with their ace.

Trading him could make sense, as could keeping him to pursue a postseason spot. But this decision is one that will be of great interest to all of MLB this summer.

Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter is predicting that the Tigers' decision with Skubal at the deadline will come with some massive risk, as instead of trading him, Reuter is predicting Skubal sticks in Detroit.

Tigers predicted not to trade Tarik Skubal at deadline

"Detroit Tigers: Tarik Skubal stays put at the deadline," Reuter writes. "... If they go 8-5 or 9-4 over that stretch, it could be enough to convince them to ride it out and push for a playoff berth."

The stretch of games Reuter is noting is their 13-games across the next 13 days leading up to the deadline. If the Tigers have a good couple of series, then keeping Skubal would seem a bit more likely.

They already won the first game of that stretch with a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels, though they're still 3.5 games out of a Wild Card spot right now.

Reuter's prediction only has a chance of coming true if the Tigers win games between now and the August 3 trade deadline. They're off to a good start, which could lead to Skubal sticking in Detroit.

But such a prediction coming true, and Skubal staying with the Tigers through the deadline, would be a massive risk.

MORE: Mason Miller shares honest thoughts on Yankees trade rumors

The Angels didn't trade Shohei Ohtani during the 2023 MLB trade deadline, and likely have come to regret that decision since Ohtani left in free agency for nothing, and the offers on the table likely would've made them competitive the last few seasons.

The Tigers are likely to receive some incredibly large offers for Skubal, and taking one of those offers would be better for the team in the long-term.

Not trading Skubal is a huge risk, and while it might be worth taking for a team pushing to make the postseason, trading their back-to-back Cy Young winner makes the most sense for the future of the franchise.

Reuter is predicting the Tigers don't trade Skubal this summer, as they could climb back into contention with a decent week or two. But such an outcome would be a huge risk, and one that the Tigers might come to regret in the not-too-distant future.