Detroit Tigers’ Best Deadline Move Was Standing Pat
Most of the rumors at the trade deadline in 2024 surrounded the same few players, who people weren't sure would be moved or not. One of those names, maybe the biggest, was Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal. However, the Tigers decided to not trade the AL Cy Young front runner and it's put them in a spot they likely wouldn't have been in had they made the move.
Skubal has been a huge difference maker in Detroit this season. A former top prospect, he has been good for the past two seasons, but his breakout in 2024 has put him in a different category among pitchers.
A first time All-Star, Skubal is likely to win the AL Cy Young, maybe even unanimously. In 30 starts, Skubal has thrown 192 innings to the tune of a 2.39 ERA with a 17-4 record, 228 strikeouts and a 0.92 WHIP.
His strikeout total leads all of baseball, and he is second in ERA among all pitchers.
He has been nothing short of an elite pitcher this year. It's one of the best seasons by a Tigers pitcher since the Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer days.
Amid what looked to be a disappointing season during July, the rumors were swirling that the 27-year-old could be dealt. It would have taken a huge package, so there's not doubt it was an enticing thought to Detroit.
However, they stood their ground, kept their ace, and it has paid off in huge ways.
The Tigers, as it currently stands, hold the second Wild Card spot. At the time of the deadline, they were a team fighting to stay at a .500 winning percentage. Who knows where they would be now if they had dealt Skubal.
The team had sent Jack Flaherty, a pitchers having a stellar bounceback season, off to Los Angeles. Kenta Maeda has not been his old self and has nearly a 6.00 ERA and both Reese Olson and Casey Mize spent time on the injured list.
Since August 2nd, Skubal has made nine starts, throwing 55 innings and striking out 67 with a 2.78 ERA.
He has, without a doubt, kept them in this race. Had they dealt him, it's hard to imagine they would be in position to make the postseason in what's been a crazy AL Central race.
Instead, Detroit is one of the best stories of the season and is looking to make their first postseason appearance since the 2014 season.
The deadline is all about deciding whether a team thinks they can make a run or not. Often times, teams on the fringe of .500 decide to sell in order to build up their farm system. What the Tigers have done this season may prove to other teams that if you keep your best players, anyone can make a run.
