Throughout the MLB offseason, the trade status of Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal will be fixated on at length. With the Winter Meetings set to begin, the league at large still seem split on whether Skubal will stay or go.
With the Tigers looking to compete in 2026, they're much more likely to do so with Skubal on their roster. But with his free agency pending, they could lose him for nothing. Detroit isn't the one making the calls, but some around the league still think he is available for trade, via Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.
“Despite several executives believing Skubal will move, the Tigers have shown no sign of deviating from their position that the back-to-back American League Cy Young winner will stay in Detroit,” the ESPN insiders wrote. “Though he's a free agent after 2026 and contract extension discussions have gone nowhere, Skubal is the Tigers' centerpiece player, and Detroit intends to contend again next season.”
While some executives think Skubal is available, Passan and McDaniel only give him a 10 percent chance to get traded. That could change if the Tigers are blown away by a deal. But at least for now, Detroit doesn't seem eager to trade their ace away.
Which makes sense based on the left-hander's performance over the last two seasons; winning Cy Young in both. During the 2025 campaign, Skubal put up a 2.21 ERA and a 241/33 K/BB ratio. He would make any team in league's rotation infinitely better.
If the Tigers don't trade him away, they're risking losing him free agency. But that might be a gamble Detroit is worth risking if a third Cy Young for Skubal is on its way.
