Tarik Skubal Told Friends He Wants to Stay in Detroit. The Tigers Might Not Let Him Pick.

Tarik Skubal has made his feelings pretty clear. According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the two-time reigning AL Cy Young winner has told people close to him that he badly wants to finish the season in Detroit. He thinks the Tigers have a real shot at the World Series. And he has zero interest in being traded.

“I’ve never lost faith,” Skubal said, per the report.

That’s a notable stance for a guy who becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. And it’s even more notable given where the Tigers sit right now.

Detroit is 44-51. They’re seven games under .500 heading into the All-Star break. That doesn’t scream contender. But the weird thing is, they’re also not out of it. The Tigers are just 5.5 games back of the White Sox and Guardians in the AL Central. They’re only 2.5 games behind the Mariners and Twins for the final wild card spot. That gap is small enough that a hot stretch could completely change the conversation.

And the Tigers have been hot. They’ve won ten of their last 12 games. That’s real momentum, not just a fluke couple of days. The schedule coming out of the break also sets up nicely for them to keep rolling. Detroit plays the Angels, Cubs, Royals, Athletics and Orioles before the trade deadline. Three of those teams — the Angels, Royals and A’s — are currently the bottom three in the American League. Those are winnable games. A lot of them.

The Math Is Weird But Not Impossible

If the Tigers go on a run through that stretch, the front office might feel like it has to hold onto Skubal. You don’t trade your ace when you’re sniffing the playoffs. But if they stumble? All bets are off. Other teams will come calling. A rental of Skubal’s caliber — he’s 5-4 this year with a 3.06 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP, even with injuries — would be the biggest prize on the trade market. Contenders would pay a lot for two months of that.

Skubal has been through injuries this season. He hasn’t been his absolute best. But he’s still been solid. And his track record speaks for itself. Back-to-back Cy Youngs don’t happen by accident.

The Tigers have a decision to make. Actually, they’ve got a few weeks to make it. The trade deadline is coming, and the next stretch of games will tell them — and Skubal — which direction this season is really going.