Tigers Have 'Little Choice' But To Trade Tarik Skubal, Claims Insider
The Detroit Tigers could be forced to trade reigning back-to-back American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal.
Skubal is a pending free agent, and because of that, his name has come up in trade rumors. He's currently on the injured list after he underwent a minimally invasive surgery to remove a bone chip from his left elbow on May 6.
Since Skubal's injury, the Tigers have struggled and are 23-38 and well outside of the playoff picture. If Detroit can't get back on track, MLB insider Ken Rosenthal believes the team has no choice but to trade its ace.
"It sure looks like the Tigers aren't getting back into contention, even if they get healthy, even if Skubal returns and he's his usual amazing self," Rosenthal said on Fair Territory on June 1. "Assuming he does get back and pitches effectively, and we don't know how this will go, it's a new surgery. While everything has gone great, he's checked every box, we just don't know how he will pitch. I assume he's going to be back in a short amount of time, maybe the middle of the month, maybe, if they are cautious the end of the month.
"Once he's back and establishes he's the Tarik Skubal that's coming off back-to-back Cy Young Awards, it seems to me the Tigers will have little choice here. You either lose him for a draft pick by offering him a qualifying offer, or you make a trade in which you would get greater projected value."
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As Rosenthal noted, with how the Tigers' season has gone, all signs point to Detroit having to trade Skubal, which would be a blockbuster and could be one of the biggest trades in recent MLB memory.
What Teams Could Trade For Tarik Skubal?
Skubal is arguably the best pitcher in baseball, as he's won back-to-back AL Cy Youngs. So, every team contending for a playoff spot would want to trade for him, but there's only a handful that have the assets to acquire him.
Although Skubal is a pending free agent, the Tigers would still be in line to get a massive haul, featuring the team's top prospects.
Ahead of Skubal's return from injury, MLB insider Bob Nightengale of USA Today named four teams as potential landing spots for the left-hander.
"Now that it's becoming inevitable that the free-falling Detroit Tigers may have no choice but to trade two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal at the deadline, rival executives believe the bidding will come down to four finalists that not only can afford the remainder of his $32 million contract, but will also be willing to give up prized prospects: The Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays and San Diego Padres," Nightengale wrote.
All four teams are World Series contenders, even though the Blue Jays are off to a slow start. Yet, it does appear Los Angeles has a major leg up in terms of prospect rankings.
Ahead of the 2026 MLB season, MLB Pipeline ranked the Dodgers as the second-best system in baseball, while the Blue Jays are 15th, the Yankees are 26th, and the Padres are 30th after dealing their top prospects for Mason Miller a year ago.
So, in terms of the prospect pool, the Dodgers have what it takes to pull off a blockbuster deal for Skubal to bolster their rotation in search of a three-peat.
Yet, for now, Skubal is a member of the Tigers, and Detroit hasn't given any indication they will be willing to trade him.
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This story was originally published June 2, 2026 at 7:23 AM.