On Thursday afternoon, in the waning hours of the All-Star break, Tigers ace Tarik Skubal took to his Instagram feed and posted two hourglass emojis.
Skubal has been very frank with his words in recent weeks — in that time is, indeed, ticking for the 2026 Tigers, and quite possibly on Skubal’s time in a Tigers uniform.
The Tigers were set to open the second half of the season Friday night on the road against the Los Angeles Angels, still trying to dig out of the absurdly large hole they dug themselves during a brutal May. They open the second half with a 44-52 record, and they’re 6½ games back of the Chicago White Sox in the American League Central and 3½ games out of the wild-card race, with a handful of teams between them and that final playoff spot.
It’s not clear how close to contention will be close enough for Tigers president Scott Harris to keep Skubal rather than trade away the free-agent-to-be ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
But this much seems certain: They need a bunch more wins, and soon, starting on this road trip, which includes three games against the Angels and then three games against the contending Cubs at Wrigley Field. After Friday night’s game, the Tigers have just 15 games before the Aug. 3 trade deadline, with Skubal able to start as many as four of them — starting with his start Saturday night in Anaheim.
During the All-Star break, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported that those closest to Skubal insist he doesn’t want to be traded from Detroit. Of course, that’s not his choice, especially if the Tigers don’t play great ball this week and next.
The Tigers lost the last two games before the All-Star break, and if they don’t reverse course and fast, Harris’ phone figures to starting blowing up — if it hasn’t already.
Skubal, 29, whatever you think of his exit from Game 5 of last year’s American League Championship Series, is a difference-maker, even if his command isn’t yet quite up to his standards as he continues working his away back from arthroscopic elbow surgery. And there are no shortage of playoff-hopeful teams who could use a difference-maker in 2026, making him the most-coveted trade-deadline target since Juan Soto four years ago.
There’s still time for the Tigers to get Harris to hang up the phone. But not much. The margin for error, so small for the past several weeks, now is officially razor thin.
And if the Tigers can’t cut it, the pool of potential Skubal suitors figures to only grow deeper.
Here’s a look at 10 teams that could jump into the Skubal sweepstakes:
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
Of course, they’re the ones to watch in the Skubal Sweepstakes. Do they need Skubal to win another World Series? No. But you better believe the two-time defending World Series champions would want him. And in recent years, far more often than not, when they’ve wanted a player, they’ve gotten the player. That has basically been their M.O. ever since they passed on trading for then-Tigers ace Justin Verlander in 2017, watched him go to the Astros, instead, and then watched Verlander and the Astros beat them in that year’s World Series (granted, with a little help from some trash cans). The Dodgers regretted that inaction for years. Even with a behemoth payroll, they have a stacked farm system.
2. Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers are my dark horse here, and a fascinating one. They’re a small-market team that could never dream of affording a player of Skubal’s talent and stature on the open market, but they’re also a very good team that’s steamrolling toward another division title, and, oh, still searching for that elusive first World Series championship. This might be the time to make that boldest of pushes, not unlike what they did in the summer of 2008, when they traded for another reigning Cy Young winner on an expiring contract, CC Sabathia. Skubal could provide protection for Jacob Misiorowski (arm fatigue) or team with him for a hell of a one-two punch. They have arguably the game’s top farm system.
3. Seattle Mariners
Interestingly, the first three teams on this list are Nos. 1 (Dodgers), 2 (Brewers) and 3 (Mariners) in Major League Baseball in starting pitching WHIP. So, again, no, the Mariners don’t necessarily need Skubal to be the final piece for a World Series run — as they, like the Brewers, search for that first World Series championship. But the Mariners saw in 2025 just how thin the margin can be between a parade and heartbreak, so you have to believe a Skubal trade would at least be discussed. It also would be a homecoming for Skubal, too, of course, as he pitched collegiately at Seattle University, though that doesn’t make any difference more than it would make for a fun storyline. Another highly ranked farm system here.
4. New York Yankees
They haven’t won a World Series title since 2009, an eternity of a drought in Yankees years. And they’ve got some question marks in the rotation. Gerrit Cole still is working his way back from recovery from Tommy John surgery and hasn’t been the guy who was the last player before Skubal to win the AL Cy Young (in 2023), and Max Fried has been out since mid-May with elbow discomfort, though the Yankees are hopeful he returns soon. Skubal would assure the Yankees an electric one-two atop a rotation with Cam Schlittler. And while the Yankees don’t have the best farm system among the teams listed here, they do have some intriguing bat prospects, including outfielder Spencer Jones.
5. Atlanta Braves
It wasn’t long ago that the Braves seemed all set for a run at a fifth World Series championship, and second in the last six years. In early June, they were 45-21 and led the National League East by 9½ games (the high-water mark was 10½ games in late May). But it’s been a slog since, as they lost 13 of their last 17 games in June and have seen their division lead whittled all the way down to 2½ games over the hard-charging Phillies. Starting pitching is part of the reason. Adding Skubal would give the Braves a two-lefty monster atop the rotation, along with 2024 NL Cy Young winner Chris Sale. The big question is if there’s enough at the top of the minor-league system to make them the ideal trade partner.
6. Philadelphia Phillies
Speaking of those Phillies … they were seemingly dead and buried in April, when they were 10 games under .500. They fired manager Rob Thomson (who led them to a World Series appearance in 2022) and replaced him with Don Mattingly, and the team has been scorching since. At first glance, they wouldn’t seem in desperate need of starting pitching, with Cristopher Sanchez, Zack Wheeler and Jesus Luzardo in the fold, and having combined for about 13.0 in WAR this year. But Aaron Nola isn’t vintage Aaron Nola, and if we know anything about president Dave Dombrowski, it’s that he never has enough power arms, and he’s never afraid to swing for the fences in pursuit of another ring.
7. Chicago Cubs
They’re in one of the most competitive divisions in baseball, the NL Central, and they certainly could use the starting pitching help — they don’t have an ERA under 4.00 in the rotation. A trade of this magnitude also could reenergize a fanbase that hasn’t seen its team get past the Division Series round of the playoffs since 2017, and suddenly (and surprisingly) are starting to hear some footsteps from their South Side rivals, the White Sox. There’s another interesting storyline at play here, as a trade to the Cubs would reunite Skubal with his mentor from his early days in Detroit, veteran lefty Matthew Boyd. They don’t have the deepest system, but they’re heavier on hitting prospects than most.
8. Tampa Bay Rays
The third team on this list still looking for its first World Series title (Brewers and Mariners), and like the Brewers, they would never really be in position to add a pitcher of Skubal’s caliber for the long term (and the big bucks). But the timing might be right to make a rental splash, given they’re leading the mighty AL East as the 100-game mark looms. They’ve gotten good starting pitching but they don’t really have that true thoroughbred setting the pace. And if they were able to get Skubal in the gate, they could move one of their starters into the bullpen, ideally Griffin Jax, so you significantly bolster two areas. Two of their top prospects, though, are catchers, and the Tigers might be good there.
9. Pittsburgh Pirates
Didn’t expect this team to be on any list like this, but here are Don Kelly’s Pirates, looking for their first winning season since 2018 and their first trip to the postseason since 2015 — all because they can finally, actually, mercifully, hit. And what a rotation that would be, teaming up arguably the best two pitchers in the game with Skubal and Paul Skenes. The big question, though, is whether the Pirates would fork over what it would take to get Skubal, when a wild card appears to be the best they can do, at 9½ games back of the Brewers and the Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals also ahead of them in the division. That’s a hefty gamble just to secure a shot in a high-variance, best-of-three wild-card series.
10. Houston Astros
This one might give Tigers fans the shakes, given they surely remember the haul (or lack of one) that they got in the Verlander trade nearly a decade ago. It also be a most-surprising development, given the Tigers signed Framber Valdez away from the Astros this winter to a big deal (three years, $115 million) in part to team with Skubal to give the Tigers their best chance of chasing that ring while Skubal still remains in the Olde English D. The Astros have gotten Metro Detroit stud Hunter Brown back to help stabilize things after a brutal April, but they still need starting pitching. It’s a major reason they entered the break four games under .500, yet they’re still in the hunt in the wide-open AL West.
tpaul@detroitnews.com
@tonypaul1984
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: If Tigers can’t cut it (and soon), get set for the Skubal Sweepstakes
Reporting by Tony Paul, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Tony Paul, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
