​Los Angeles — The Tigers can see the top of hole they dug for themselves with a 6-22 May. And yet, the terrain still is treacherous and time is running short.“I think we’ve been sprinting for so long, trying to climb the ladder,” manager AJ Hinch said Sunday before the All-Star break. “And we’re still in it and we have a long way to go.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThis isn’t a marathon anymore. The Tigers commence play Friday against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim trailing the Chicago White Sox in the American League Central Division by 6.5 games. They are 3.5 games back in the wild-card race, with eight teams between them and the final slot. Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal delivers a pitch in the second inning. Detroit Tigers take on the New York Yankees on June 24, 2026 at Comerica Park in Detroit.There are 16 games left before the Aug. 3 trade deadline.And yet, the belief inside the Tigers’ clubhouse is real.“A lot of guys in this room went through the 2024 season and took a ton of confidence away from it,” lefty ace Tarik Skubal said, referencing the Tigers’ 31-13 run into the postseason that year. “And a lot of guys in this room went through last season, which was almost the complete opposite. But we still went into the postseason and made some noise, eliminating the team (Cleveland) that pulled the rug out from underneath us. And we were one pitch, one run away from going to the ALCS.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“When you have that perspective, it gives you a ton of confidence, no matter what is thrown your way.”But all the confidence and perspective in the world doesn’t change the reality. The Tigers have to keep winning. Any extended losing streak could be fatal. That has been their reality since the start of June.But it is especially true in this next stretch leading up to the trade deadline.The 22-14 run has given president Scott Harris some options. He doesn’t have to be a pure seller. Skubal, Casey Mize and Gleyber Torres are pending free agents. And if the Tigers fall farther out of contention in the next few weeks, he might be more amenable to a trading for a package of top prospects, like he did with Jack Flaherty in 2024.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBut if the Tigers stay in it, then he can be more aggressive trying to add pieces, like another bat or back-end bullpen arm. He could pursue a trade with another contending team, buyer-to-buyer. He could sell to add.All of which is easier to talk about than actually pull off.Skubal, the reigning, two-time Cy Young winner, presents a unique challenge for Harris. With the size of the contract Skubal will be able to command in free agency (industry estimates put it at over $400 million), it’s highly unlikely the Tigers can or plan to re-sign him.It is also debatable how much they could get back trading him as a rental at the deadline. Maybe a top-100 prospect? Maybe a young, big-league ready player? But anything close to hi