The Detroit Tigers are currently ice-cold, and there have been no signs of things turning for this team as of late. On Sunday afternoon, Detroit’s woes continued, as the team suffered a 5-3 defeat at the hands of the Baltimore Orioles after Colton Cowser hit a walk-off three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Ever since superstar starting pitcher Tarik Skubal landed on the injured list, the Tigers have been in a free fall, and while he appears to be ahead of schedule in his injury rehab, even his return may not be enough to save this team. Beyond that, trade rumors are continuing to swirl around Skubal, and with Detroit continuing to struggle, the team may be forced to seriously consider moving on from him.
Tigers Inching Closer to Tough Tarik Skubal Trade Decision
Skubal has become arguably the best pitcher in the majors after winning back-to-back American League Cy Young Awards in 2024 and 2025. This season, he was off to a similarly hot start through seven starts (3-2, 2.70 ERA, 45 K, 0.95 WHIP) before he was forced to undergo surgery on his throwing elbow to remove a loose body.
Even without considering his injury woes, though, Skubal’s future in Detroit was complicated. He’s in the final year of his current contract, and after the two sides failed to find any sort of common ground on an extension over the offseason, it seems likely that, if Skubal hits the open market, he will sign with a new team.
If the Tigers’ front office feels that it has no shot of retaining Skubal, it could decide to trade him before potentially losing him for nothing on the open market. The team’s ongoing losing streak certainly appears to be making this decision easier for Detroit, as it inches closer to shopping Skubal with each passing defeat.
“Yet another gut-punch for the Detroit Tigers who blow 9th-inning lead to the Baltimore Orioles and lose 5-3 on a walk off,” MLB insider Bob Nightengale of USA Today wrote in a post on X. “That’s 8 losses in a row. That’s 16 losses in the last 18 games. That’s 1 step closer to putting Tarik Skubal on the trade block.”
Tigers May Have No Choice but to Trade Tarik Skubal
GettyTarik Skubal #29 of the Detroit Tigers pitches against the Athletics during the first inning at Comerica Park on June 24, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)
Keeping Skubal would be one thing if the Tigers were winning games, but they aren’t. With a 20-33 record, they are sitting at the bottom of the American League Central division, and perhaps more worryingly, only the Los Angeles Angels have a worse record than them. There’s still time for Detroit to get its act together, but that time is running out very quickly.
Considering the heightened expectations the Tigers entered the season with, this is pretty much a worst-case scenario. Skubal’s return is worth keeping tabs on, but if Detroit keeps losing at this rate, it will have no choice but to trade him to the highest bidder. The good news (depending on how you look at it) is that this team will immediately have a shot to get back on track, as it will play the second leg of its doubleheader against the Orioles at 6:05 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Tarik Skubal Trade Rumors Heat Up After Tigers’ Latest Loss