The Detroit Tigers keep hearing the same question everywhere they turn this winter: Are they really going to trade Tarik Skubal? The rumors haven’t slowed since the Winter Meetings, and every contender with money, prospects, or desperation has been linked to the back-to-back American League Cy Young winner.
But a new detail helps explain why nothing has happened yet—and why the Tigers still look positioned to open Spring Training with their ace on the mound.
According to ESPN insider Buster Olney, Detroit has set a “very high price tag” on Skubal, and people around the organization expect he’ll be in camp at the outset of Spring Training. That doesn’t sound like a franchise rushing to cash out. It sounds like a team treating Skubal the way the sport treats rare things: with a number so steep it forces everyone to blink first.
The Tigers Aren’t “Shopping” Skubal—They’re Controlling the Market
Teams can call it “listening” all they want, but there’s a difference between entertaining ideas and putting your best player on the block. The Tigers have done the smart version: they’ve let clubs make offers while making clear they won’t move Skubal unless someone pays a price that feels unreasonable.
That’s why Olney’s note matters. If rival executives believe the ask sits above the normal “ace rental” package, then Detroit is doing two things at once.
First, it keeps Skubal in a Tigers uniform unless a team gets reckless. Second, it sets the market for every other starter who might move later. If the best pitcher available carries a sticker shock number, then the next tier of arms suddenly looks more affordable—and Detroit still gets to benefit from the chaos.
The Tigers also have leverage because they don’t have to force a decision today. Skubal remains under team control through 2026 via arbitration. Yes, his walk year creates urgency, but it doesn’t create panic. Detroit can start the season with him, chase the postseason again, and reassess in July if the standings go sideways.
That timeline matters because teams don’t pay “everything” for a name in January unless the fit feels perfect. At the trade deadline, contenders act differently. Front offices stare at a real playoff path and justify painful prospect losses with one simple sentence: We’re doing this to win now.
Why the Price Looks “Too High”—And Why Detroit Might Like it That Way
Skubal isn’t just an ace. He’s the type of ace who changes how opponents build a series plan. Over the last two years, he has paired elite results with the kind of underlying dominance that convinces analytically driven teams they can trust the performance. That’s why “very high” quickly turns into “historic” when his name comes up.
Still, Detroit has to weigh the same risk every small- and mid-market contender faces: the closer a star gets to free agency, the more the return can shrink—especially if the acquiring team views him as a rental.
That’s the tension inside the Tigers’ strategy. A team like the Dodgers can stomach that risk better than almost anyone. Los Angeles can trade for Skubal in July, take its shot at another title, and move on if he hits the market. Other teams can’t justify that kind of prospect dump without an extension.
From Detroit’s perspective, that reality can be an advantage. If the Tigers believe only a handful of clubs can meet the ask, then they can keep negotiations narrow, demand premium talent, and avoid a “quantity over quality” return. They can also hold firm long enough to see if the market breaks in their favor.
Olney’s reporting points to the most realistic outcome right now: the Tigers keep Skubal, enter camp with a playoff-caliber rotation headlined by the best pitcher in the league, and let the season decide the rest. If Detroit contends again, the trade noise becomes background. If the Tigers stumble, the same “too high” price tag might start to look like a deadline bidding war waiting to happen.
Tigers Set Sky-High Price on Tarik Skubal as Trade Talks Stall