Tigers Could Make a Major Impact at Trade Deadline

The Detroit Tigers could significantly impact the upcoming Trade Deadline if they decide to trade talent to contending teams in Major League Baseball. The critical question remains whether Detroit will actually choose to sell. The potential trading of Tarik Skubal starts the conversation, but it goes far beyond that.

Skubal, the two-time reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, is expected to be one of the most sought-after trade pieces in years. Detroit's roster features several players who could attract interest from other teams, particularly within the pitching staff. According to a National League executive, "If it was me, I would sell. Given that so many other teams are all in the hunt, I would guess the premium for buying will be high and sellers will get more than expected for quality talent."

Skubal’s trade value was further highlighted by an American League executive's comment: "They have to move Skubal; there’s no way around it. They will set that franchise back 10 years if they don’t. He’s gone at the end of the year regardless, and they can pull Major League assets back."

As of now, the Tigers held a 35-48 record following a recent loss to the Houston Astros, putting them nine games behind the first-place Chicago White Sox in the AL Central and six games out of the final AL Wild Card spot. Despite their underperformance, the team has time to improve before the August 3 Trade Deadline, leading most rival executives to believe that baseball operations president Scott Harris would allow the team to demonstrate that a fire sale isn’t necessary.

One AL executive noted, "There’s so much baseball yet to play. They are not dead. They have one of the better teams in the AL and definitely the most talented team in the AL Central. My guess is that if they have a greater than 25% chance of making the playoffs, they will hold."

The potential for the Tigers becoming sellers is fueled by their available trade assets, which attract significant interest, such as RHP Casey Mize, who has a 2.95 ERA in 11 starts this season; RHP Kyle Finnegan, who has posted a 1.89 ERA; and RHP Kenley Jansen, remaining strong with a $12 million club option.

Other noteworthy players include 2B Gleyber Torres, who is currently injured but has shown solid performance with a .790 OPS, and RHP Drew Anderson, showcasing promising stats since his return from Asia. Additionally, RHP Jack Flaherty, who is on the injured list, is expected to return to the Tigers’ rotation soon, despite his struggles earlier this season.

The collective playoff odds for the Tigers seem to be around 20-25%, leading some executives to argue that the value for Skubal and others is too high to ignore unless the team is confident in their chances for a championship run. One executive highlighted the risk of holding onto Skubal, stating, "I’m not sure how they can keep [Skubal] and not realize for the long-term health of the organization that they need to trade him. It’s not a World Series team, and that should be what they measure that trade by."

If the Tigers utilize the remainder of this season to strive for a playoff run, they could potentially surprise many. A rotation featuring Skubal, Framber Valdez, and Mize could provide a shot at postseason advancement, but whether it would suffice to claim a championship remains uncertain.