ORLANDO, FL — Tarik Skubal is the talk of the Winter Meetings.
The reigning back-to-back American League Cy Young winner is set to become a free agent after the 2026 season. The 29-year-old left-hander projects to become the first pitcher in MLB history to receive a $400 million contract once he reaches free agency.
Will the Detroit Tigers trade Skubal in the 2025-26 offseason?
“I can’t do my job without listening,” Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris said Monday, Dec. 8, at the Winter Meetings. “I can’t do my job without exploring anything that may or may not have legs. Some are going to be very likely moves, and some are going to be extremely unlikely, but you can’t actually fully vet those opportunities unless you’re willing to listen.”
The Tigers aren’t actively shopping Skubal, but Harris is listening to trade offers for the best pitcher in baseball. The refusal to commit to Skubal as a Tiger for 2026 is only fueling the trade speculation. For a trade to happen, the Tigers would need to receive an offer they can’t refuse.
That makes a Skubal trade unlikely.
But the Tigers aren’t shutting down trade rumors.
“One, we don’t speculate on any players on our roster in trade talks,” Harris said. “It’s not productive, and it’s unfair to the players and the teams. Two, I’ve been pretty clear since I’ve been here: I don’t believe in untouchables on any level, so like anyone in our organization. It’s not a commentary on Tarik specifically. It’s sort of a blanket team-building approach.”
Skubal wants to say in Detroit.
“It’s all out of my control,” Skubal said Nov. 20 on the “Foul Territory” show. “As a player, you don’t really – well, unless you want to be traded, but that’s a whole different situation. It’s not like I want to be traded, so why am I in these conversations to begin with?”
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In 2025, Skubal – a two-time All-Star in his six-year MLB career – registered a 2.21 ERA with 33 walks and 241 strikeouts across 195⅓ innings in 31 starts. He owns a 2.39 ERA in 77 starts over the past three seasons, leading the AL in ERA in both 2024 and 2025.
Here’s the perfect way to quantify his value: Over 2024-25, the Tigers posted a 42-20 record in 62 games started by Skubal, but only a 131-131 record in the games not started by him.
The Tigers need Skubal to win in 2026.
And yet, they’re entertaining trade offers at the Winter Meetings.
“I don’t know if that’s helpful for you guys,” Harris said, “but I figured I’d give you at least some logic behind why we’re taking this approach. Does that make sense?”
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tarik Skubal trade offers: Scott Harris ‘listening,’ no untouchables
Reporting by Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
