​The Tigers are the talk of baseball, and they likely will be for the next two weeks.Detroit not only holds arguably the biggest trade chip on the market in Tarik Skubal, but also another top trade candidate in Casey Mize.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBoth players are pivotal to the Tigers’ success for the remainder of the 2026 season, but with Skubal, it still feels like the buck stops there for Detroit. He’s preparing to cash in with what could be a record-setting contract this offseason, and if he reaches free agency, it feels inevitable that the Dodgers will be among the favorites. They’ll likely backload a massive deal and continue doing what they’ve done for years.Because of that, I wouldn’t expect Los Angeles to be overly aggressive in trying to trade for Skubal before the deadline when they can instead pursue him this winter. However, plenty of contenders will be looking to buy over the next two weeks, and that could drive the asking price for Skubal—or any Tiger—even higher.Still, all the speculation surrounding where Skubal or even Mize could end up may become irrelevant if Detroit puts together one more surge and firmly inserts itself into the American League Wild Card race.Looking at the schedule, there’s a legitimate chance the Tigers could make up significant ground in both the Wild Card standings and even the AL Central before the trade deadline arrives.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSo let’s take a look at the five series that separate the Tigers from the trade deadline—two crucial weeks not only for Detroit, but for every team sitting on the playoff bubble.The Tigers come out of the Midsummer Classic after another disappointing All-Star Game showing. Detroit remained hitless for the ninth consecutive year, going 0-for-17 since 2017, including 0-for-5 this season.Fortunately, the second half starts against one of the American League’s worst teams.Detroit opens on the road against an Angels club that took a series from the Tigers back in May. There are certainly no guarantees, but even during Detroit’s historically poor offensive stretch in May, the Tigers still managed to score 13 runs in that series. That came during a month in which Detroit averaged barely more than two runs per game.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNow, the Tigers have momentum, winning three of their last four series and climbing back into the playoff picture. They begin the second half just 3.5 games behind the final Wild Card spot and 6.5 games behind the division lead.Detroit should have an opportunity to win this series, but the road remains an issue. The Tigers are just 17-29 away from Comerica Park and will need to improve that mark if they’re going to stay in the race.The road trip continues with a stop at historic Wrigley Field to face one of the National League’s top teams.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDetroit entered the All-Star break coming off a series loss to Philadelphia, another upper-echelon National League