Detroit Tigers Unlikely to Trade Ace Tarik Skubal, But Could Deal Jack Flaherty

With the Los Angeles Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles reportedly interested in acquiring Tarik Skubal before the trade deadline, the Detroit Tigers may not be willing to part with him just yet.

Jun 14, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) pitches against the Houston Astros in the first inning at Minute Maid Park. / Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

The most coveted pitcher on the market may not be available after all.

Earlier this week, Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci reported that the Los Angeles Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles were interested in adding Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal ahead of the trade deadline. Verducci added that his source said it was unlikely the Tigers would trade Skubal, but that "everything has a price."

Now, additional reporting from ESPN's Alden Gonzalez is pouring even more cold water on the likelihood of a Skubal deal getting done this summer.

Gonzalez said it seemed unlikely that Skubal would get moved ahead of July 30. Meanwhile, he reported that the Tigers could very easily make starting pitcher Jack Flaherty available instead.

Skubal, 27, is fresh off his first career All-Star appearance. He is currently one of the leading contenders to win AL Cy Young, thanks to his 10-3 record, 2.41 ERA, 0.879 WHIP, 140 strikeouts and 4.5 WAR.

Detroit has Skubal under team control through the end of the 2026 campaign, meaning they are not under a ton of pressure to trade him before the deadline.

Flaherty, on the other hand, is a pending free agent, having signed a one-year, $14 million "prove it" deal with the Tigers this past winter. He is currently 7-5 with a 3.13 ERA, 0.964 WHIP, 137 strikeouts and a 2.4 WAR through 17 starts this season.

The 28-year-old righty was once a promising young arm with the St. Louis Cardinals, finishing fifth in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2018 and fourth in NL Cy Young voting in 2019. Between those two seasons, Flaherty went 19-17 with a 3.01 ERA and 1.028 WHIP.

Flaherty went 23-15 with a 4.42 ERA and 1.328 WHIP between 2020 and 2023, though, especially struggling after he got traded to the Orioles at last summer's deadline.

The Tigers are 6.0 games out of the third and final AL Wild Card spot at 48-50, meaning it is unlikely they make the postseason even with Skubal and Flaherty anchoring the rotation. FanGraphs' latest projections give them just a 1.2% chance of winning the AL Central and a 9.1% chance of making the playoffs in any capacity.

While Skubal likely figures into Detroit's plans moving forward, Flaherty could certainly be seen as more expendable should the front office decide to sell in the next 10 days.

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