Detroit Tigers Front Office Reveals How Close Tarik Skubal Trade Was
The Detroit Tigers were involved in a ton of rumors leading up to the 2024 MLB trade deadline. They ended up making several moves as one of the clear-cut sellers in baseball.
The Tigers unloaded a few of their veterans who were on expiring deals, such as starting pitcher Jack Flaherty and outfielder/first baseman Mark Canha. They landed with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants, respectively.
Reliever Andrew Chafin, who has an option for the 2025 season, was also traded. He and catcher Carson Kelly both ended up on the Texas Rangers in separate deals.
Absent from the list of players traded is ace Tarik Skubal. There was a lot of smoke around a potential blockbuster involving him, but there ended up being no fire. It was certainly the right decision to hold onto their best player, as he has proven capable of anchoring a pitching staff.
Given how many rumors were swirling around him, it is fair to wonder how close a deal may have gotten. According to Detroit president of baseball operations Scott Harris, it was never close at all.
“Not close,” Harris said during a post-deadline press conference discussing the other deals that were made. "There were a lot of rumors that floated out there. There are a lot of ’unconfirmed reports’ that are just totally inaccurate. We never came close to trading Skubal.”
Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times essentially confirmed what Harris was saying. The Dodgers acquired Flaherty but were naturally checking in on Skubal as well during trade negotiations.
The impression Los Angeles got was that the ace wasn’t going to be moved “in any scenario”. Hernandez’s source went as far as to say Skubal wouldn’t even be discussed by the Tigers.
These reports could provide a hint at what is to come this offseason. If Skubal offers were being accepted and nothing met their asking price, the offseason would be dominated by trade talks centered around him again.
But, Detroit being unwilling to even consider trade scenarios with Skubal could mean an aggressive winter where they look to upgrade the roster. Harris was asked about potential offseason plans but deflected, not giving away any plans in the summer for the winter.
“It’s July right now,” said Harris. “We’ve got a lot of work to do this year. … We have a lot of young players in the big leagues who need to get a whole lot better. I think you guys are seeing some flashes of it. I think when you see some of these players, what they looked like in April and now what they look like in July, it’s a good example of what we can be as an organization. But we can’t just start looking into the winter right now. We have a lot of work to do in August and September to make sure the players on this and the players that are going to impact this team in the second half are coming up and getting better. That’s where our focus is right now.”
This winter is certainly going to be an interesting one in the Motor City, especially if the Tigers can finish the 2024 season on a high note.
Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.