Tigers tumble to last place: what it means for the 2026 trade deadline

Via ESPN · May 15, 2026

Injuries Have Changed Everything for Detroit

Tarik Skubal arbitration contract Tarik Skubal Tigers contract Tarik Skubal start time

The Tigers’ collapse cannot be separated from their injury situation. Detroit has been playing without several key pieces, and the roster has been stretched thin on both sides of the ball.

Tarik Skubal underwent surgery on May 6 to remove a loose body from his throwing elbow and is not expected back until late June or July. Justin Verlander is on the 60-day injured list with hip inflammation. Casey Mize landed on the injured list with an adductor strain. Will Vest, Connor Seabold, Troy Melton, Beau Brieske, Jackson Jobe, Bailey Horn, and Reese Olson have also dealt with injuries on the pitching side.

The position-player group has been hit hard as well. Gleyber Torres went on the injured list with a mild left oblique strain. Javier Báez suffered a right ankle sprain. Kerry Carpenter injured his left shoulder after crashing into the wall. Parker Meadows remains out after a concussion and fractured radius suffered during an outfield collision.

Those absences have forced the Tigers to rely heavily on rookies, bench pieces, and replacement-level depth. Hao-Yu Lee, Gage Workman, Keider Montero, and Ty Madden have all been pushed into larger roles than originally expected. That is not an excuse for everything, but it does explain why the roster has looked so thin during this recent skid.

MLBMLB Injury Report

Via ESPN · May 14, 2026

The Tigers Have to Be Honest About Where They Are

A team hovering around .500 can talk itself into patience. A team sitting in last place has to be more honest.

The Tigers are scoring just 4.2 runs per game, and the offense has not been deep enough to survive the injuries. Riley Greene has been Detroit’s best hitter, carrying a .325 average and .906 OPS through 43 games. Colt Keith has provided a spark with a .311 average, while Kevin McGonigle has impressed with a .301/.409/.444 slash line.

Beyond that, the lineup gets shaky fast. Torres has been solid but not a true middle-of-the-order force. Báez has been more of a complementary piece. Carpenter, Spencer Torkelson, and Wenceel Pérez have all struggled to find consistency. Detroit’s team average sits at .242 with 38 home runs and 170 RBIs.

MLBDetroit Tigers Team Stats · 2026

Via ESPN · May 14, 2026

Pitching has been the strength of the club, but even that has not been enough. Skubal has a 2.70 ERA with 45 strikeouts in seven starts. Mize and Montero have kept the Tigers in games when healthy. Kyle Finnegan has been excellent out of the bullpen with a 1.31 ERA and seven saves, while Kenley Jansen has recorded 10 saves.

Still, quality starts and late leads have not turned into enough wins. That is why the trade deadline conversation has shifted. Detroit is no longer asking only whether it should buy. The front office now has to decide whether holding this group together makes sense at all.

Scott Harris Has Shown He Will Not Make Deadline Moves Just to Make Them

This is where Scott Harris’ track record becomes important.

Harris has consistently emphasized a disciplined, long-term approach to building the Tigers. He has never shown a willingness to sacrifice key prospects simply to satisfy public pressure at the trade deadline. During the 2025 deadline cycle, Harris said the organization had to be pragmatic and focus on deals that improved the club both immediately and in the future.

That approach came under heavy scrutiny last season.

To be clear, Harris did not completely stand pat in 2025. The Tigers added several pitchers, including Chris Paddack, Charlie Morton, Finnegan, Paul Sewald, Rafael Montero, and Codi Heuer. However, Detroit did not acquire the impact bat that many fans believed the offense desperately needed, and that decision became a major point of criticism when the lineup struggled down the stretch.

After the season, Harris defended the strategy. He acknowledged that he was not entirely satisfied with the deadline but said he did not regret passing on deals that would have cost too much prospect capital for short-term upgrades.

Kevin McGonigle Opening Day roster

Here’s Everything that Scott Harris said on the 2025 Deadline.

“Do I regret not adding more performance to this team at the deadline?” Harris said. “I don’t think I’ve ever gone through a deadline completely satisfied with the results. It’s a really difficult challenge, and I think this deadline is another deadline when I wasn’t completely satisfied with the results.

“However, do I regret not pulling the trigger on the deals that we had access to at the deadline? I don’t. I’ll tell you why: I think I’m even more confident now than I was then that the deals we had access to that we passed on would have frustrated our fans more than not doing the deals.

“It’s really tough in my job right now because I can’t share the exact deals for obvious reasons. But I can share some details that hopefully are pretty illuminating.

“I would tell you that the players that were most closely connected to us via the media would have cost either a player on our postseason roster plus additional pieces or one of our top prospects plus additional pieces.

“In some cases, with those deals that were most closely connected to us, those players that were most closely connected to us, those players some of them didn’t perform at all down the stretch, would have been a free agent in two months, and would have cost a player on our postseason roster that actually performed better than the player we (would have) acquired, and was controllable in the future.

“So think about that for a second. We could have acquired a player who was going to be a pending free agent on the day of the deadline. We probably would have gotten an A on the trade grades on the day of the deadline and probably would have gotten plenty of praise in the coverage, only to see that player not perform well down the stretch and the player we traded performed better than that player this year and be controllable in the future.

“I don’t regret those deals at all. I actually am proud of our group for evaluating the players we had well and thinking, ‘Hey these players are going to help us this year and in the future and get some really big outs for us in the postseason.’

“So those are my feelings on whether there’s any sense of regret on the deals. I think the subtext of the point I’m trying to make here is in my job I’ve got to operate in actual markets. I can’t get caught up in hopes and wishes or theoretical markets.

“If there are players that anyone in this room thinks we had access to for a reasonable return and we should have pulled the trigger on, you should criticize me. I deserve that criticism and I should learn from that criticism. But criticizing us for not acquiring a top-of-the-rotation starter or a controllable middle-of-the-order bat when none were moved at the deadline, I don’t think is fair or constructive.”

That is the same balancing act Detroit faces again in 2026. Harris is unlikely to make a trade simply because the standings look bleak or because fans are demanding action. His history suggests he will only move if the deal fits the organization’s broader vision.

At the same time, many Tigers fans believe the conservative approach in 2025 contributed to a missed opportunity. If Detroit remains in last place as July approaches, Harris will once again have to decide whether patience is the right strategy or whether this roster needs more decisive action.

Who Could Move If the Tigers Sell?

The most obvious trade candidates are veterans on short-term timelines.

Framber Valdez could draw significant interest from contenders seeking rotation help. Jack Flaherty has struggled, but his postseason experience and track record could still make him attractive as depth. Jansen and Finnegan may generate the strongest market because bullpen help is always in demand at the deadline.

Among position players, Torres could appeal to teams seeking middle-infield help. Carpenter’s left-handed power may attract clubs looking for corner-outfield depth. Báez’s contract likely limits his market, while Torkelson’s age and pedigree make him more likely to remain unless another organization still believes strongly in his upside.

MLBFramber Valdez — MLB Stats

Framber Valdez

2026

WAR0.61

FIP4.05

Season History

Last 5 Games

Via ESPN · May 14, 2026

The Tigers Still Have a Core Worth Protecting

Selling does not have to mean tearing everything down.

Riley Greene, Kevin McGonigle, and Colt Keith should continue to be viewed as foundational pieces of the Tigers’ next competitive window. Greene is developing into a legitimate middle-of-the-order bat and looks capable of anchoring the lineup for years to come. McGonigle has already shown advanced plate discipline and the poise of a player who could become a cornerstone infielder. Keith remains young enough to be a significant part of Detroit’s long-term plans.

Tarik Skubal presents a more complicated decision. Unlike the younger position players, Skubal is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2026 season. That means the Tigers must decide whether to pursue a long-term extension, make a qualifying offer and risk losing him for draft compensation, or consider trading him if they believe they cannot retain him. When healthy, Skubal is exactly the type of ace organizations spend years trying to develop, which is why any decision involving him will be one of the most important of Scott Harris’ tenure.

Tarik Skubal is playing the 2026 season under a one-year, $32 million arbitration contract with the Detroit Tigers, and he is set to become a free agent after the season.

Listening on everyone is different from shopping everyone. The Tigers should remain open-minded, but that does not mean they should move premium talent unless the return is overwhelming. In Skubal’s case, his pending free agency makes the conversation more urgent, but it also increases his value. If Detroit believes it can sign him to a long-term extension, he should remain the centerpiece of the rotation. If not, the front office may have to consider whether his trade value is too significant to ignore.

The 2027 Window Matters More Than a Panic Move

If Detroit decides to sell, the return should align with the organization’s next realistic contention window. The Tigers do not need low-level lottery tickets as much as they need players who can contribute by 2027 or 2028.

Max Clark, Bryce Rainer, Malachi Witherspoon, Madden, and others could help shape the next great Tigers team. McGonigle has already arrived. The objective should be to strengthen that core rather than make cosmetic moves designed only to create the appearance of action.

That is where Harris’ patience makes the most sense. The Tigers should not make trades simply to satisfy outside pressure. But patience only works if the front office accurately assesses where the club truly stands. If Detroit is not a legitimate contender in 2026, the trade deadline should be used to accelerate the next competitive window.