Detroit Tigers Predicted to Not Trade Tarik Skubal Amid Trade Rumors
The Detroit Tigers are on an impressive stretch in recent weeks, winning 11 of their last 14 games. It'll take a lot for the Tigers to be in a position to make the postseason, but they're 6.0 games out of the third Wild Card spot and will look to make things interesting down the stretch.
That's, of course, if they don't sell at the deadline and continue to let these guys grow together. It's been a team effort in recent weeks, and the young talent has truly stepped up.
Colt Keith looks to be a legitimate hitter at the big league level, Justyn-Henry Malloy has been on an incredible stretch and looks comfortable at the plate, Wenceel Perez has had an impressive campaign, and everyone knows the type of player Riley Green is.
They look like a core four who could make an impact in the American League Central for much of the next decade.
Factor in the young guys with a 27-year-old Tarik Skubal, a 28-year-old Jack Flaherty, and Jackson Jobe looking ready to make his debut, and the future seems brighter than it has in a very long time in Detroit.
This should only be the start of something brewing in the Motor City.
But if the front office goes out and trades Skubal and Flaherty in the next week, that future looks different than it does on July 23.
Skubal is the best pitcher in baseball right now and looks to be the ace that every good team needs. In a year or two when the young guys get even better and the front office makes other moves, Skubal would still be the one who this all falls on.
All that to say, moving him would be a tough decision. Not just right now, but for the future of this team. Left-handed pitchers who can run it up to 100 MPH and have secondary stuff don't just grow on trees. The Tigers found themselves a superstar, and while prospects can be intriguing, it's a pipe dream that they'd ever be what Skubal is.
From the sound of things, he could be staying around, which should make Detroit fans ecstatic about the future.
Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic previewed the trade deadline, predicting that Skubal won't be traded.
"Despite all the chatter, this conversation isn’t all that complicated. It would take a massive haul for the Tigers to move their ace at this year’s deadline.
"The Orioles are perhaps the only team that can offer enough, and even then, would Mike Elias really be willing to part with Jackson Holliday? The odds of Skubal actually moving seem slim."
It'll be interesting to see how this plays out, but no trade guarantees a player who can do what Skubal has done. The front office has to keep that in the back of their minds over the next week.
JON CONAHAN