If the Detroit Tigers decide to trade Tarik Skubal, it'll be because they are out of the postseason race come the trade deadline.
That is, of course, very unlikely if they finalize an extension with Skubal beforehand. But without an extension, several clubs could make a run at the best pitcher in Major League Baseball.
ESPN's Jesse Rogers predicts the Tigers will trade Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers by July.
"They [Dodgers] can even afford to trade for Skubal as a rental if the move leads them to a third straight championship, whereas just about any other team would need to immediately sign him to a long-term deal in order to justify giving up the prospects it will undoubtedly take to land a back-to-back Cy Young Award winner," Rogers wrote Friday.
Why the Tigers could trade Skubal
Skubal and the Tigers are reportedly very far apart in extension negotiations. He could warrant the highest contract for a starting pitcher in league history.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 12-year, $325 million pact with the Dodgers holds the current record for a pitcher, and the Tigers' record is a $292 million extension with Miguel Cabrera in 2014.
If the president of baseball operations, Scott Harris, and the rest of Detroit's front office are unwilling to pay Skubal upwards of $400 million, they could opt to trade him for a boatload of MLB-ready prospects.
The Dodgers may be willing to trade from their farm system, even if they cannot convince Skubal to stick around after the 2026 season.
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