Alright, so Tarik Skubal, the ace pitcher the Detroit Tigers sent packing to the Los Angeles Dodgers before the 2026 trade deadline for three prospects, just dropped a bomb. He’s actually willing to sign a long-term deal with the Tigers this offseason. Yeah, you heard that right. The guy they traded away is open to coming back. But don’t get your hopes up if you’re a Tigers fan, because Tim Kelly from Bleacher Report is pouring cold water all over that dream scenario. He’s saying the Tigers probably won’t even make Skubal a competitive offer.
Kelly is pretty blunt about it, pointing out that Skubal, a Scott Boras client, likely knows the Tigers aren’t going to step up with a serious offer in free agency. We saw this play out already: the Tigers totally balked at his asking price in arbitration, which blew up into a record-breaking $32 million hearing. It’s a classic move for a team to pass on massive money when a player hits the open market after they’ve already shown that kind of hesitation. This dude is gonna want a colossal payday, something truly record-breaking.
Think about it: Skubal is a 30-year-old pitcher fresh off a mid-season surgery. Any team offering record-breaking cash for that kind of profile is taking a serious gamble. There have been whispers of a $400 million deal floating around, and while the Tigers might have some interest, and Skubal clearly has a soft spot for them, that kind of offer is just not in their cards. Kelly also highlighted owner Chris Illitch’s spending habits, noting he “hasn’t shown the same willingness to spend as his late father did.” That’s a huge factor when you’re talking about a deal this massive.
So, while a Skubal reunion with the Tigers would be a dream come true for their faithful, it’s just not realistic. He’s probably heading for the Dodgers or some other big-market team that’s ready to take on that kind of financial risk. Skubal is getting paid big time this offseason. It’s just highly unlikely that check will be coming from Detroit. This whole situation just shows you how much is truly at stake when a team has to decide between sentiment and a potentially risky, record-breaking investment.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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