Detroit Tigers making big demands in Tarik Skubal trade, will historically bad AL keep him in town?

It’s rare that a player of Tarik Skubal’s caliber is available on the open market.

He is the reigning Cy Young Award winner in the American League. He’s become one of the most consistent pitchers in Major League Baseball. He offers a rare blend of elite stuff that can miss bats when necessary along with the command and control to avoid putting extra runners on base.

To their credit, the Detroit Tigers held on to Skubal over the offseason, despite immense interest from other clubs. Instead, ownership and the team’s front office doubled down on their surprising 2025 season, coming up just short of an ALCS berth after losing to the Seattle Mariners. They added Framber Valdez, one of the best available free-agent starters. They brought back Gleyber Torres and Justin Verlander, and added Kenley Jansen to stabilize the back end of the bullpen.

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Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal reacts after striking out Chicago White Sox third baseman Colson Montgomery with the bases loaded to end the fifth inning at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan, on June 19, 2026. (Lon Horwedel/Imagn Images)

But despite playing in arguably the single worst league in modern baseball history, the Tigers as of Thursday afternoon are just 34-46. They’re 7.5 games behind in the AL Central, and five games back in the race for the third wild-card spot. And therein lies the difficulty.

There are five teams ahead of the Tigers in the American League standings. Skubal has just returned from an arm injury that required surgery, and has yet to really dominate since rejoining the rotation. His velocity is down a bit in 2026 compared to 2025, but his track record is as good as anyone. And the AL this season is so underwhelming that even at 34-46, Detroit might have a path to postseason baseball.

All these factors complicate a potential trade, which is why it’s not surprising that Detroit is making big demands of any team interested in acquiring Skubal for a playoff run of their own.

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Per the New York Post’s Jon Heyman, the Tigers are asking for pitching under team control for several years, and athletic hitters who are close to reaching the big leagues. Heyman also reported that, at least from the New York Yankees, the Tigers wanted their No. 1 overall prospect, George Lombard, and reliever Carlos Lagrange, their No. 4 prospect. Both are highly regarded, with Lombard widely viewed as a top-20 prospect in baseball. The Yankees, reportedly, balked.

Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers reacts after striking out Colson Montgomery of the Chicago White Sox to end the top of the fifth inning at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan, on June 19, 2026. (Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

That’s quite a bit of return for a player only under contract through the end of the season. Especially one represented by Scott Boras, which means he’s unlikely to sign an extension before reaching free agency. But Skubal isn’t just any player, and Detroit can make big demands, with the position they’re in.

Incredibly, entering play on Wednesday, there were just two teams in the AL with a positive run differential. There were eight in the National League. The Chicago White Sox, leading Detroit’s division, are just 41-38, having been outscored by three runs on the year. Detroit can tell other teams they’re willing to hold on to Skubal, thinking that one hot streak could put them right back in contention.

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Detroit pitcher Tarik Skubal reacts during the MLB game between the Detroit Tigers and the Atlanta Braves on April 29, 2026, at Truist Park in Atlanta, Ga. (Rich Von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)

While the trade deadline is still more than a month away, the Tigers can hold the opposition over a barrel. You want Skubal now? Give us your two best prospects and a major-league pitcher. Or we’ll just hang on to him, see if we can get back in position. Or are you willing to risk waiting until the end of July and miss out if the Dodgers swoop in?

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It’s one of the most unusual situations and questions we’ve seen in baseball. But it sure seems like Detroit is willing to trade Skubal. If someone’s aggressive enough to meet the asking price.