During the Detroit Tigers press conference with general manager Scott Harris and manager A.J. Hinch, there were plenty of player personnel questions thrown their way for this upcoming offseason, and of course, the 2026 offseason.
The Tigers' ace, Tarik Skubal, is only under control through 2026. With plenty of speculation over his future in Detroit, Harris was asked about Skubal's future with the Tigers after another strong season.
Evan Petzold of The Detroit Free Press shared Harris's answer, which was both non-committal and concerning for Tigers fans, as he might've revealed the team's plans with what he mentioned first.
Scott Harris dodge's question about Tarik Skubal's future in Detroit
"I can't comment on our players being traded," Harris said. "I can't comment on free agents. I can't comment on other teams' players. I'm going to respond by just not actually commenting on it."
Scott Harris on Tarik Skubal's future: "I can't comment on our players being traded. I can't comment on free agents. I can't comment on other team's players. I'm going to respond by just not actually commenting on it." #Tigers
— Evan Petzold (@EvanPetzold) October 13, 2025
In the process of dodging the question, the first thing he mentioned was that he can't comment on "our players being traded." While Harris isn't indicating that Skubal is getting dealt, the fact that it was the first thing he mentioned is slightly concerning.
If he began with a mention of how he can't comment on contract negotiations, or ongoing extension talks, or another similar angle, then there might not be as much concern regarding his answer.
There's been plenty of speculation over whether Skubal will stay in Detroit, and while the Tigers have expressed an interest in keeping him, they could also look to trade him at the deadline to recoup any value instead of letting him walk for nothing.
More: Tigers owner Chris Ilitch comments on a Tarik Skubal extension after Wild Card win
A similar situation happened for the Los Angeles Angels with Shohei Ohtani. They held onto him until he became a free agent, and didn't get anything in return for him, despite having plenty of teams lining up at the door willing to pay for a half-year rental of Ohtani.
The same can be said about Skubal. If the Tigers decide they want to trade the ace starting pitcher who's set to win a second-consecutive Cy Young Award this season, then there would be a lot of teams willing to pay top dollar for a one-year rental.
If Detroit determines they can't extend him, a trade wouldn't be the worst outcome, especially if they were able to recoup a ton of value from the haul he'd land. Of course, it wouldn't be a popular decision, but it's one to keep in mind as the offseason gets underway.
The comments that Petzold shared from Harris don't indicate a trade is coming or that anything specific is coming. But the fact that when asked about Skubal's future, Harris mentioned a trade before anything else is, at the very least, something to keep in mind as the offseason and Skubal extension rumors begin.
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