​Tigers urged to trade Tarik Skubal despite two big problems originally appeared on The Sporting News. The Detroit Tigers sit at 38-49 as July begins and 8.0 games back in the AL Central, with only a weak Wild Card path keeping them in postseason contention. Despite that, Skubal trade rumors persist, and ESPN’s David Schoenfield pushes for a deal, though two major obstacles could slow any swap: Skubal’s performance since returning from elbow surgery and Detroit’s shaky playoff hopes.
First, Skubal has not resembled his pre-injury form since coming off the injured list. He’s allowed seven home runs over four starts and hasn’t looked the same on the mound, which could give potential suitors pause when evaluating him. A solid six-inning outing against the Yankees offers some optimism, but he’ll need to show improved results consistently.
Second, the Tigers must decide if they’re truly out of the playoff race. Although they’re 11 games under .500, FanGraphs estimates their odds of reaching the postseason at around 24%. This is the simplest reason a Skubal deal might not happen, as Detroit could still view themselves as contenders at the deadline. Still, their positive run differential of plus-11 is notable, and they’re one of only a few AL teams with a favorable margin, which gives them a plausible belief they could still make the playoffs.
Schoenfield argues that despite the bullpen and offense issues, there’s value in cashing in on Skubal now and adding premium young talent, rather than chasing a fragile postseason push. His takeaway is clear: trading the Cy Young winner could be the smarter move for long-term health of the franchise, even with two significant caveats affecting trade odds.