One question surrounding this MLB offseason is whether or not the Detroit Tigers are going to trade left-handed ace Tarik Skubal. It seems like a long shot at best, but anything can change if a team makes the right offer.
After the Tigers were eliminated from the American League Division Series against the Seattle Mariners in five games, reports surfaced about a gap between the club and Skubal in extension talks. It was reported to be a wide gap of close to $250 million, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
That is a sizable gap. It can create a lot of friction between the player and the front office. Whether or not Detroit trades its top pitcher remains to be seen. If they do, several teams would be lining up to make an offer. One team that has been linked to Skubal is the San Francisco Giants by ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan.
Giants Linked to Tarik Skubal By ESPN
McDaniel and Passan listed the top 25 players who could potentially get traded this winter. The list was comprised of players ranked by value for their new team if traded, not the likelihood of being dealt. Skubal’s predicted chance of getting traded was 10%.
Still, ESPN listed him at No. 1 on their board, with the Giants mentioned as one of his potential landing spots. Also mentioned were the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, and Boston Red Sox. Skubal just won his second straight American League Cy Young Award.
“After back-to-back AL Cy Young awards, Skubal is the best pitcher in the game, with Paul Skenes on his heels. Like most aces, Skubal tinkered to find an extra gear. Skubal’s changeup was the best in baseball this past season by a significant margin. His usage of the pitch over the past five years went from 12% in 2021 to 15% in 2022 to 24% in 2023 to 27% in 2024 and 31% in 2025, his most-used pitch,” McDaniel and Passan wrote.
What is intriguing about Skubal is that his velocity has gone up over the last couple of seasons. At 29 years old, can he keep it up?
“The velocity of his fastball (+1.8 mph) and changeup (+3.7 mph) has gone up over the past two years with the same, if not better, pitch movement. Skubal throws his slider at a cutter velocity, giving him a third-plus pitch to go with durability (190-plus innings in both Cy Young years) and standout control and command,” McDaniel and Passan wrote.
Could the Giants Trade for Tarik Skubal?
San Francisco needs rotation upgrades this offseason, and Skubal would certainly be that. Will the Tigers actually move him? ESPN reported that several executives believe he could be, but it’s not a given.
Detroit plans on contending again in 2026, and they would need Skubal for that. If they are blown away by a deal, then things could get interesting. If a team trades for him, you would think an extension would have to be in place before sending back a huge package to the Tigers.
Skubal could get anywhere from $250 million-400 million in his next contract. There aren’t a lot of teams that can give him that. The Giants know how tough the National League West is. To compete, they need to make a bold move or two. Acquiring Skubal would certainly be a bold move.
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