Tigers' Tarik Skubal gets another trade prediction, this time by an MLB exec

Tigers' Tarik Skubal gets another trade prediction, this time by an MLB exec originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Detroit Tigers have a losing record through the first 33 games of the season with a 16-17 record. But, they're just one game back of the lead for the AL Central.

That losing record isn't as bad as it looks with the weaker AL Central. But that weaker record, and the uncertainty long-term has, once again, brought Tarik Skubal into the trade conversation, this time by an MLB executive.

In MLB.com's Mark Feinsand's poll of 20 MLB executives about who could be moved at the deadline, one of the 20 predicted that Skubal could be traded this year in his last season under club control by the Tigers.

Tigers predicted to trade Tarik Skubal, this time by an MLB exec

"As part of our annual first-month executives poll, we asked 20 front-office members whom they believed would be the biggest name moved by the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline," Feinsand writes. "... Tarik Skubal, Tigers (1 votes)."

Even though the Tigers would surely draw a significant return for Skubal, and the chance of a trade isn't zero, especially if things go south, it would take a lot for them to part with their ace.

The back-to-back Cy Young winner would be sought after by almost every buyer at the deadline if he actually became available. But, barring a total collapse, he's going nowhere.

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He has a 2.70 ERA this season across seven starts and has already posted 1.5 bWAR with 45 strikeouts and a 161 ERA+.

This MLB executive predicting Skubal could be dealt isn't a major surprise, as there have been Skubal trade rumors in the last year.

This offseason was dominated by talks of a Skubal trade. With Detroit trying to go all-in for the 2026 season, Skubal looks likely to stay in Detroit for at least this season.

But, on the off chance things are a complete disaster by the deadline, and there's no hope of even sneaking into the postseason, then maybe the Tigers consider trading Skubal.

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