While recovering from elbow surgery, how does Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal fit into the team’s future plans?
According to one MLB insider, not much at all. Or at least not in a way that sees him finishing the season in Detroit.
The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal published an article on Monday, June 1, indicating that many MLB executives expect the Tigers to deal Skubal before this year’s Aug. 3 trade deadline. According to Rosenthal, the last remaining question for these executives is whether Skubal can return healthy, something that seems realistic by the middle of June based on his rapid progression from injury.
Skubal underwent a procedure to remove a bone chip from his left elbow on May 6. The arthroscopic procedure usually requires a recovery time of 2-3 months, but a new procedure using a NanoNeedle made the surgery less invasive, allowing Skubal to potentially cut his recovery period in half.
And with the Tigers now sporting the worst record in the American League, Rosenthal believes Skubal will command some of the highest trade deadline interest from rival teams since Juan Soto was traded from the Washington Nationals to the San Diego Padres in the middle of 2022.
According to Rosenthal, a host of contending teams would be interested in acquiring Skubal, including the Padres, Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs. But the team he lists first is the team that has many experts speculating: the back-to-back World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
“Heaven knows how healthy [the Dodgers’] rotation will be in two weeks, much less two months. And what’s another $10 million or so to add to the payroll, plus another $11 million or so in luxury-tax penalties?” he writes.
Skubal has pitched to a 2.70 ERA over 43⅓ innings pitched in 2026 after winning the AL Cy Young Award in both 2024 and 2025. His absence has also coincided with one of the worst stretches in recent Tigers history, as the team has gone 6-22 since he last pitched on April 29.
If the Tigers decide to keep Skubal beyond the trade deadline, they will have two options with their ace at the end of the season. Either they can let Skubal leave in free agency and likely receive a compensatory draft pick from a turned-down a qualifying offer, or they can try to sign Skubal to a long-term deal, something that seems unlikely based on the team’s recent spending history.
For the record, Rosenthal believes the Tigers trading Skubal is a good idea.
“If the Tigers keep Skubal, then make him a qualifying offer and lose him as a free agent, they will receive only a draft pick after the first round as compensation. A trade would yield greater projected value, though the return would be depressed by three factors: Skubal’s status as a rental, the remaining portion of his $32 million salary he is owed and his lack of eligibility for a qualifying offer as a player traded in the middle of a season.
“Still, it’s Tarik Skubal,” he writes.
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You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tigers ace Tarik Skubal a ‘goner’ by deadline, says MLB insider
Reporting by Christian Romo, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
