Just a few weeks ago, the Detroit Tigers looked like a team ready to hit the reset button. Tarik Skubal, their two-time Cy Young winner, was sidelined with a bone chip in his elbow, and the club had dropped 21 of 25 games—a free-fall that had rival GMs salivating over the possibility of prying Skubal loose at the trade deadline.
Now? The narrative has flipped.
The Tigers have won seven of their last ten games. Skubal returned to the mound Saturday against Cleveland. Casey Mize and Justin Verlander are both on their way back from injury. And according to a report from Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the front office is putting potential trade calls on hold—at least for now.
Why the Tigers Are Waiting
Nightengale wrote in his Sunday column that Detroit plans to wait until around the All-Star break to evaluate whether they can climb back into contention. If the Tigers keep trending upward, the thinking goes, trading their ace could be off the table entirely.
“Hold those phone calls,” Nightengale wrote. “The Tigers plan to wait … to see if they can get back in the race before pulling the plug on their season and trading Skubal.”
That’s a significant shift from the tone just two weeks ago, when the team seemed destined for a full sell-off.
Skubal’s Status and Performance
In his first start since the elbow issue, Skubal threw four-plus innings against the Guardians on Saturday, allowing three runs in a 3-1 loss. The line wasn’t spectacular, but the mere fact that he was on the mound matters. For the season, the left-hander owns a 2.81 ERA with three wins, and his track record—AL Cy Young honors in 2024 and 2025—makes him the kind of arm that can anchor a rotation for a contender.
Trade Interest Remains High
Despite the Tigers’ recent surge, there is no shortage of teams monitoring Skubal’s availability. The Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres and Tampa Bay Rays have all been linked to the 29-year-old in industry speculation. The Padres, in particular, have a history of aggressive deadline moves, while the Phillies are desperate for rotation depth behind Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola.
But if Detroit keeps winning, those suitors may have to look elsewhere.
The Bigger Picture
At 29-42, the Tigers are still in fourth place in the American League Central. They’re 12 games back of the division-leading Guardians. But the gap isn’t insurmountable, especially in a division where no team has run away with things. A hot stretch through July could change the calculus entirely.
For now, the Tigers are choosing to see what they’ve got. With Skubal healthy, Mize and Verlander on the way, and the calendar turning toward summer, Detroit is giving itself one last chance before making a decision that could reshape the franchise for years.
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